Along for the Ride
by moviegal101
Summary: A girl who won't talk. Who has no faith in the idea of sacrifice. Who doesn't believe true humanity still exists. As does everyone who survived the invasion, she brings a heavy past with her after being found on the brink of death under suspicious circumstances. As she holds on to her past and runs from her future, she struggles to learn how to survive in an unforgiving world.
1. Chapter 1

"Hal. Wake up," came the voice.

"Hm?" The dark-haired teenage boy raised his head and blinked sleepily at the blonde haired girl standing over him.

"It's time for patrol," she said. "Five minutes. Hurry."

"On my way," replied Hal, already sitting up and looking relatively alert.

Yawning, he swung his legs out of the cot he was sleeping on and began to lace up his boots. Reaching for his gun, he glanced at the photograph next to his jacket. He smiled as he saw his brothers and his father grinning into the camera. He touched it softly, then swung his automatic rifle onto his shoulder and tucked his handgun into his belt. As soon as he exited the tent, the blonde fell into step beside him. It was just beginning to grow light out and Hal concentrated on his feet so as not to trip.

"Are you ready?" he asked as they reached the gates. He lifted up his automatic in a ready position.

"Always am," replied Maggie, taking out her handguns as the gates swung open.

No longer concentrating on his feet, Hal was now scanning his surroundings as they made their way into the forest.

"I brought you something," Maggie continued. She handed him a napkin and he took it, neither taking their eyes off of the underbrush. Hal spared it a quick glance. It was two pieces of toast, the bread made out of oatmeal, which they never seemed out of.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. That was the worst thing about morning patrols. It was the only one that missed mealtime and Hal was always prompt to those, no matter what was on the menu.

"We can stop by the stream and eat," suggested Maggie. Hal agreed, not wanting to risk eating on the go as he knew it would become a distraction.

Everything was quiet, which wasn't unusual. No one had reported any signs of activity in the past few weeks. There were a few people who dared to hope that the Skitters (awful aliens that bore an unfortunate resemblance to gigantic spiders) and mechs (huge metal destroyers that looked like something out of a Star Wars movie) had moved on. Hal wasn't naive enough to consider that possibility, but he did expect a few weeks of peace at the very least.

"Don't forget to keep your eye out for anything that could be of use back at base," reminded Maggie after a while.

Hal nodded. Anne, their resident doctor, had told all the scouts to be on the lookout for any medicine they could find to replace her quickly dwindling supplies. And Captain Weaver, the commander of the 2nd Mass, reminded them all daily that anything that could be used as a weapon, no matter how bent out of shape, would be useful.

"There's the stream," pointed Maggie finally, about half an hour later.

Hal had tucked a few pieces of bent metal into his pockets and Maggie had found an old beer bottle, but other than that there hadn't been much out of the ordinary. There was a giant rock beside the running water and both Hal and Maggie sat down with a sigh of relief. It's not that they were tired- they had far too much endurance for that- but they were still thankful to sit and hear the silence. They sat back to back, a habit all the scouts had picked up quickly. They didn't want to leave any blind spots open in case that meant they missed something of importance.

Hal ate his breakfast enthusiastically while Maggie thoughtfully ate her own piece of bread. Neither were much for making small talk, especially not on patrols. Sometimes, it was nice just to hear the stillness. As Hal bent down to wash his hands off in the water, he stopped. Maggie felt him stiffen and was instantly on guard.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Blood," he replied shortly.

Maggie turned around and stared at Hal's feet. On the mud lining the water and the leaves on the ground were splatters of blood. There were inconsistencies where it looked like somebody- or something- had tried to cover the trail, but there was no denying the existence. Both Hal and Maggie followed the marks with their eyes until they couldn't see them anymore. Immediately both stood up and had their arms at the ready. They followed the trail cautiously, Maggie covering the left and Hal slightly behind her covering the right.

"It could be a trap," warned Maggie.

"I know," replied Hal quietly. "But the trail might be gone by the time we get backup."

"Look," said Maggie, clearly not paying attention to Hal. The trail of blood suddenly split, two different paths opening up. "One path was coming, one was going," she surmised.

"All right, but which was coming and which was going?" mused Hal.

"You take one, I'll take the other."

Hal nodded, taking the right trail. Maggie continued on, her ears open and her eyes alert. She came to a clearing and immediately turned in a circle, fearing she had walked straight into a trap. There was nothing except for silence to meet her. Slowly, she walked to the center of the circle. There she stared in horror. She had seen plenty of blood and was in no way squeamish. But the sight that greeted her was nowhere near pleasant.

Blood covered the ground to the point where her shoes were slipping in it. She fully expected to see a body lying there, the scene of a gruesome murder. But there was nothing except for a single tree with a knife stuck all the way through it, so that the blade poked out from the other side. Shiny red liquid, turning brown, was still dripping down the bark. Maggie hesitated, her morals conflicting with practicality. The practical nature in her won. After all, a knife was a knife. Grimacing, she yanked the knife out of the tree, keeping her gun elevated in case it was booby-trapped.

"What happened here," she murmured.

It couldn't be a skitter attack, because they left their dead and their attacks usually didn't produce that much blood. The blood was too fresh to have allowed for an animal to have dragged off the body. Mechs destroyed everything in their path and the foliage looked healthy enough. It could have been outlaws, but there were no signs of life reported from the other patrols.

Remembering Hal and the second trail, she slowly started to make her way back to the split. But a yell startled her into a run.

"Maggie!" came Hal's voice, clearly panicked.

He knew better than to yell, especially on patrol, for fear of alerting nearby Skitters. Which meant that something beyond that concern was occurring wherever Hal was. Maggie ran though the woods as quickly as she could, ignoring the branches slapping her face and arms. She hit the point where the trail split and then dashed along the other line. The whole time she was running, she prayed she wouldn't find Hal in trouble because while she was handy with a gun, there was only so much she could do without backup. This trail seemed less bloody, certainly less than she had found back at the clearing. She continued to follow the trail until she saw the back of Hal's jacket. He was on his knees in the middle of the forest, and she pointed her gun over his shoulder, afraid someone had a weapon trained on him.

"Hal?" she asked quietly.

He turned around, panic evident on his face.

"What is going on?" she asked, stepping closer. She walked forward until she could see what he was kneeling by and then her mouth dropped. She was even more bowled over than when she was in the clearing and that had been disturbing enough. Her eyes were horrified and she quickly came to Hal's side. She pointed her gun at the figure lying in front of him.

It was a girl, lying on her stomach with her face turned to the side. She had dark hair and looked to be of Asian descent. She was decently clean, all except for her back. Tough girl Maggie, who didn't even flinch at men dying or children screaming, had to steady her shaking hand. Headstrong Hal, who had seen men and women come back from battle with limbs torn off and yet still begged to join the fight, had to work hard not to vomit up his breakfast that Maggie had so kindly brought to him.

The girl's back was soaked with blood. It was no doubt where all of it in the clearing had come from. There was flesh sliced though, most of the cuts extremely deep. Hal was looking at it in a horrified fascination and Maggie looked closer, despite her strong desire to walk away. There seemed to be uneven sticks lying on her back and neck pointing upwards, but she couldn't tell much else. The girl was breathing, though just barely. Maggie was honestly surprised she had lasted that long. She didn't know much about medicine, but she knew enough to see red flags when it came to that much blood loss.

"Do we take her back with us?" asked Hal tentatively.

"Maybe we should go get your dad and Captain Weaver," replied Maggie, still staring at the girl.

"Yeah, that's probably a good plan," agreed Hal getting up, clearly eager to leave the gristly site.

"We can't leave her," admitted Maggie reluctantly after a moment. She wanted to leave as much as Hal, but she knew that it wasn't the right course of action. "She'll die by the time we get back."

Hal looked around. "You're right," he said, sounding slightly disappointed, wincing as he looked at her again.

A sound of movement suddenly came from the forest. Hal and Maggie froze, turning to each other. They moved back to back again, scanning the forest.

"Skitters," whispered Hal. Maggie spun around, following his line of sight.

"They must have heard you calling me," she murmured.

"Great," replied Hal, his eyes not leaving the aliens. "They haven't seen us yet, but they will soon."

As if on cue, the Skitter in the front lifted its head and stared at Hal. It made a clicking sound and the four around it looked up too. Maggie fired off a shot without another moment.

"Let's go!" she shouted.

"Catch!" shouted Hal back. He threw his automatic to her and she immediately fired off a round.

"What are you doing?" she said. "We need to go!"

"Hold them off. I need you to cover me!"

Pulling out his handgun, Hal raced over to the girl. She was still breathing but she was also still bleeding. Grimacing but trying not think about it too much and praying he wouldn't do more damage, Hal picked up the girl and swung her over his shoulder. His knees buckled and Maggie looked at him like he was crazy.

"Leave her! She's going to die. We need to go," she said urgently, shooting one Skitter but having four advance on her.

"What happened to 'we can't leave her'?" replied Hal, steadying the girl and getting his balance back. It wasn't that she was terribly heavy and he was a strong individual, but the sudden addition of weight plus the blood now trickling down his back threw him off center. "I got her, let's go," he said.

Instantly, Maggie turned and ran. Hal gave a parting shot, hitting another Skitter, before retreating as well. Maggie moved to the side and then around Hal so that she was behind him.

"What are you doing?" he called back.

"Covering you," came the reply.

"Just run! We're nearly to the gate."

"We're going to lead them straight to the community!" said Maggie, dread creeping into her voice.

"We're gonna have to kill all of them then. And hope there's a welcome party waiting for us at the gates."

He heard a shot and then Maggie say, "Three down, two left!"

"Just keep running!" he called back. His shoulder was getting sore and he hoped they would be at the gates soon. The girl was starting to get heavy and he felt vulnerable not being able to fight with the full range he would have had with two arms available.

"There it is," he called back to Maggie. The gate was ahead and Hal charged towards it, hearing Maggie doing the same.

"There are still two on our tail," she said. "But I think we lost them for a short while."

"That's not enough." Hal whistled through his teeth, a short piercing sound followed by a long one. Heads began to pop up behind the blockades and three men ran out to join him.

"What-" began one, staring at the girl on Hal's shoulder.

"Two Skitters behind us," said Hal, ignoring his companion's quiery. "We killed three already."

Without another word, the three men took off down the road, Maggie turning back around to join them.

"Hey, don't break my gun!" he called out after her, realizing that she still had his automatic.

"Hal!" came a voice from the gates. It belonged to a middle-aged man running out to meet him. "What in God's name is that?"

"Captain Weaver," acknowledged Hal. He nodded respectfully and then continued to walk, needing a place to put the girl down. "Where's my father?" he asked urgently.

"With Ben, in the medical trailer," replied Weaver.

"We found this girl," explained Hal. "There's blood all over her back, she needs help right away."

"Lourdes should be in trailer," said Weaver. "Get the girl in there and I'll find Anne."

He headed in another direction, leaving Hal to walk though the camp alone. None of the people paid much mind to him because, sad as it was, another dead or bleeding body wasn't much news to them anymore.

The exception was a man with long hair, surrounded by tough looking men, who called out, "Whatcha got there, Hal? Another lost puppy?"

"None of your business, Pope," replied Hal evenly without breaking his quick stride.

He reached the medical trailer and yanked open the door. Two boys were sitting on chairs in the back along with a man with a dark beard and a young girl wearing a doctor's coat.

"Hal," said the man, looking up. "Is everything okay?" he started to ask, worry on his face.

The girl wearing the coat saw the body over Hal's shoulder and she got up quickly.

"What do you have?" she asked, her voice urgent but even.

"Maggie and I found her on patrol," explained Hal. "Her back is completely torn up. She was bleeding out when we got there but we couldn't leave her-"

"Of course you couldn't," said Lourdes, breaking off the beginnings of his ramble. She quickly cleared off the table in the middle of the room and Hal gratefully set her down.

"It's messy," he warned her.

"I'll be able to handle it," she reassured him with a smile, but it faltered when she got a good look at the girl's back. "Where's Anne?" she asked, her eyes worried.

"Weaver went to get her," said Hal, but the man standing in the back interrupted him.

"Matt, Ben, why don't you two go see if you can find her before Captain Weaver does?" His voice was calm but his stance was rigid. Hal glanced at him, realizing he didn't want the two boys to see the girl.

"Okay, Dad," said the younger one. The other walked behind him, keeping a grip on his brother's shoulder. As the middle son passed by the girl lying on the table, he suddenly lifted his hand and touched the back of his neck in a smooth motion.

"Are you okay, Ben?" asked Hal, noticing.

"I'm fine," he replied, but he looked over at the girl on an impulse and suddenly wished he hadn't so he kept on walking.

The man watched his kids walk out of the door and then turned to Hal. "Did you find any Skitters?"

"Five," he replied, tearing his gaze away from Lourdes and the girl on the table. "Maggie and the others went after them. I think they heard me calling for her, so they're closer than we thought."

Before his father could reply, the door opened again and another woman walked in with Captain Weaver.

"What seems to be the problem Lourdes?" asked the woman briskly.

"Severe bleeding and blood loss. I can't see much else though all the blood. I'm trying to stop the bleeding but I can't get anything to work."

"Let me see," said the woman, coming over and hurriedly but carefully beginning to work with Lourdes.

"What do you think happened to her?" asked Hal, his voice shaking slightly.

"I don't know, Hal," replied Anne evenly. "Right now, my guess is as good as yours."


	2. Chapter 2

"Dad, we couldn't find Anne," came a voice from the doorway.

Ben was looking in, Matt standing behind him peering out from under his arm. The woman clearly in charge looked up and said, "I'm right here, you two."

"Is she gonna be okay?" piped up Matt in a worried voice.

Anne looked at him. "I don't know," she said. "What she really needs is a blood transfusion, but unfortunately I don't have the equipment to do that here. So we're just going to have to wait and see."

"Well, can't I give her some of my blood?" Matt offered hopefully.

"That's sweet, Matt," said Anne, smiling at him. "But I don't know what blood type she is so I could do more damage than help. I also don't have the tools I need to safely administer it to her, even if I did know you were a match."

Matt looked disappointed and he continued to look in the girl's direction. He wasn't quite tall enough to see over the table but Hal moved instinctively to block Matt's view. The man standing in the back looked at them and said, "Ben, take Matt and go find Maggie."

"She's still out on patrol," reminded Hal.

"Well why aren't you with her?" asked the man. "Weren't you supposed to be partnered with her this morning?"

"I was bringing her in!" replied Hal incredulously, pointing to the still form of the girl lying on the table.

"Wait, are you trying to get rid of us?" realized Ben.

The man looked tired. "Boys, just go. We should let Anne and Lourdes do their jobs and you don't need to be seeing this."

"Tom, it's alright," interjected Anne. "I've done all that I can. She's breathing more regularly and her pulse is steadier. We've halted the bleeding for now but I don't want to poke around her back too much until it's stopped for sure. I'm going to have Lourdes stay and monitor her but apart from that I can't do much until she stabilizes." Going to the sink, she rinsed her hands off and while she was drying them she said, "There's not much more to see, boys. You're welcome to stay if your father says it's okay, but nothing is going to happen for now."

Tom looked torn. He would have liked to say no to all three of them, but Hal was growing up and doing as much as any man in the 2nd Mass. He had also been the one to find the girl so Tom figured he'd seen everything by that point.

He sighed heavily. "Hal, you can stay if Lourdes says it's okay. Matt and Ben, out." He pointed to the door.

Ben looked like he was hearing exactly what he expected and turned around without a word, though not without one last glance at the girl. Matt followed, looking much more disappointed. Hal swung his gun off his shoulder and moved to sit down in one of the seats vacated by his younger brothers. Tom gave him a somewhat exasperated look and Hal rolled his eyes.

"Lourdes?" he asked in exaggerated gallantry. "Do you mind if I stay?"

The young medic smiled somewhat shyly. "Of course not."

Noticing the younger girl becoming somewhat flustered, Anne gave Tom a knowing smile. Tom suddenly looked at a loss for what to do.

"Tom, would you mind coming with me to meet up with Weaver?" asked Anne pointedly, realizing he wasn't going to say anything. "I need to give him a list of medicines I'm running short on."

"Of course," said Tom. He gave his son a look. "Hal, behave yourself and don't bug Lourdes."

"Don't worry, Mr. Mason. I think I can handle him," assured Lourdes, now organizing the surgical instruments.

"I don't expect anything to change while I'm gone," Anne instructed Lourdes. "The bandages we put in place should halt the bleeding for at least a little while. If she does start up again, you know where the gauze is."

Lourdes nodded. "I'll be fine."

"I know. But please don't hesitate to find me if you need assistance."

"We'll be back soon," promised Tom, he and Anne heading for the door.

"So," said Hal when they were gone. "First year med student, huh?"

"Yeah," said Lourdes in her soft voice. "Seemed like a good idea at the time." She laughed quietly. "Although I didn't think I'd be getting so much experience this soon."

"Well look at it this way. You're learning much faster than you would at school. And you don't even have to pay for it!"

"I do have to pay for it if I make a mistake," Lourdes reminded him darkly.

"Well you're saving lives and that is what's important," said Hal, giving her his charming smile.

Unable to help herself, Lourdes smiled back, glad she was in the shadows so he wouldn't see her blush.

Outside in the camp there was a bustle of activity.

"Maggie!" called Weaver.

The blonde was walking though the gates with the three men who had joined her in pursuit of the remaining Skitters. She said something to them before walking over to meet the Captain, still holding Hal's rifle.

"Status report?"

"We killed the remaining two," she said. "We found the three Hal and I killed and buried them with the others."

"Was anyone injured?" asked Weaver.

"No one," she replied. "How's the girl?"

"I don't know, I was going to find Dr. Glass and Tom Mason to see."

"I'll come with you," said Maggie.

"Speak of the Devil," replied Weaver, looking over Maggie's shoulder.

Anne and Tom were walking towards them as he spoke, so Weaver and Maggie went out to meet them.

"How's the girl?" asked Maggie, her face concerned.

"She's as fine as we can hope for," replied Anne. "I left Lourdes and Hal to watch over her. The bleeding has stopped but she's still unconscious."

"Is she going to make it?" Maggie looked tentative, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"I don't know," answered Anne. "I've done all I can for now. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Do you have any theories as to what happened to her?" asked Weaver.

"A few," said Anne, noncommittally. "I can't poke too much around her back until the bleeding stops. In a different situation I would never have picked her up in the first place."

"Hal didn't have a choice," said Maggie defensively. "The Skitters were coming for us and we had to run."

"I know, I'm not blaming anybody," said Anne reassuringly. "He did the right thing. You didn't have time to make a different choice, I understand. I'm only saying that it's a miracle she didn't bleed out on the way back."

"Miracle or not, I would still like to find out what happened to her," said Weaver bluntly. "Maggie, did you see anything of interest that would explain this?"

Maggie looked at the three adults staring at her. "There was a clearing with a tree in the center of it. There was a knife stuck though it. All the way, so that it was like a holding place for the blade. The blade came out the other side of the tree and there was blood everywhere. It was almost like a sacrifice," she whispered. "Hal and I think she went from there to the stream, the one a few miles down the road. And then she tried to turn around and head for somewhere else but she collapsed, where Hal found her."

"Wait, did you two split up?" asked Tom, interrupting her story.

Splitting up was about as ill advised as shouting on patrols in case there was a need for backup.

"There's a reason we send you out in pairs, Margaret," reminded Weaver, looking none too happy.

"We figured we could cover more ground that way," said Maggie. "We did make a mistake and I accept full responsibility for that, it was on my order. But if Hal hadn't found her when he did, the Skitters would have. And that would have been on us for not doing the right thing."

"Even if it was the stupid thing," said Weaver, but he gave Maggie a look of grudging respect that clearly said he forgave her.

Tom however, still didn't look too happy and Maggie would have bet just about anything that Hal was going to hear from his father later.

"Well," said Weaver. "Keep me posted."

"I will," promised Anne. "I should head back and see how they're doing, anyways."

"I'll come with you," said Maggie quickly. "I need to give Hal back his rifle."

"Hey, Maggie. Before you go…I almost hate to ask, but did you by any chance-" began Weaver.

"Grab the knife? Sure did." Maggie handed it to the Captain with a grin, along with the beer bottle. "Hal found some pieces of scrap metal that could be of use as well."

"I'll catch up with him later," said Weaver as he walked off.

"I'm going to go find Ben and Matt. Make sure they're fairing okay," said Tom.

"How is Ben, by the way?" asked Anne, concerned.

"He's fine," replied Tom. "I think he's just adjusting to his surroundings the same way we were when we first arrived."

"Alright." She didn't look convinced. "Well tell him if he has any question to come talk to me. I might not have all the answers but my door is always open. Lourdes is usually around too, if he would feel more comfortable talking to her," Anne reminded Tom.

"I'll pass the message along," assured Tom. "See you later, Maggie."

"Bye, Tom."

Anne and Maggie began their way back to the medical trailer together, Anne scanning the people standing around to make sure they all looked as healthy as possible. They passed by Pope's camp and Anne didn't fail to notice Maggie clutch her gun a little tighter. Anne didn't feel the need to carry a gun wherever she went, but privately she was always unsettled when walking by Pope and his Berserkers.

"What do you want, Pope?" asked Maggie in a low voice as the man himself came up to the two women.

"Oh. Why the gloom, Mags? It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" said the man, with an exaggerated gesture to the gray sky.

"It would be even better if you would get out of our way," said Maggie harshly, moving to push past him.

Anne watched the scene nervously to make sure it didn't escalate. She knew Maggie could hold her own in a fight and she didn't feel threatened because Maggie had her back. But she also wanted to avoid conflict all together because she was getting tired of having to patch up petty wounds which could have been avoided.

"Maggie, let's go," she said quietly, giving Pope a hard look.

"Ooo, where are you two ladies going?" asked Pope, sounding interested.

"None of your business!" replied Maggie, irritated.

"That's what your boyfriend told me too. I saw him earlier, carrying his new puppy thingymabober!" said Pope, waiting to get a reaction out of Maggie.

"He's not my boyfriend," she said angrily. "And that wasn't a puppy, you idiot!"

"Sure looked like one to me," he said, acting surprised. "First you, then his brother…it's turning into a little shelter for misfit toys up in Masonville, isn't it?"

The onlookers began to laugh and Maggie looked furious. Anne quickly took her arm and led her away from Pope.

"That's enough, Pope," said Anne. Maggie looked at her, surprised at the usually soft-spoken woman. "Also, when you're ready to be civil, come see me about that cut on your arm. It needs to be looked at."

"Yeah, I'll come see you," he said carefully, with a glint in his eye.

Anne swallowed and Maggie stepped forward again, but Anne continued in a sharp tone, "But don't bother coming unless you're ready to be polite. That goes for everybody, and I mean it."

She gave all the assembled people a stern look before walking away, Maggie close behind her.

"Go Anne," said Maggie in admiration.

Anne laughed nervously. "I have absolutely no idea where that came from," she admitted, making Maggie laugh along with her.

They arrived back at the trailer and went inside. Lourdes was alone, folding clean cloths they were using as bandages.

"Where's Hal?" asked Maggie.

"Not sure," replied Lourdes, looking up. "He said he was going to go check on Ben."

"That reminds me," said Anne, coming over to help Lourdes. "I told Tom to tell Ben to come speak to one of us sometime soon about what happened to him. I think he might be more comfortable talking to you. If that's the case, do you mind speaking with him?"

"No, of course not," said Lourdes. "I don't really know what to say to him though."

"Just answer his questions to the best of your ability if he has any. Be straightforward and tell him the truth. Hearing a bunch of lies is the last thing he needs right now."

"Okay," Lourdes nodded with a smile. "I can do that. Talk to him, that is," she corrected quickly. "Not…tell him a bunch of lies."

Maggie laughed. "Lourdes, I don't think you could tell a lie if you tried," she teased.

Lourdes just shrugged. "You might be surprised," she said, playfully mysterious but knowing deep down that Maggie was probably right.

Maggie only continued to chuckle before saying, "I'll leave you to your work. I need to go find Hal anyways."

"Maggie, I know it's not very cheerful in here but you know you're always welcome," said Anne. "Lourdes and I enjoy the company."

Maggie smiled. "Will you let me know if anything happens with her?" She nodded to the still form of the girl lying on the table.

"Of course," replied Anne. "I wouldn't expect anything for a couple days though."

"Do you need me to bring you anything?" Maggie asked at the door.

Anne looked at Lourdes, who shook her head. "We'll get some lunch soon," said Anne. "Thanks though."

Maggie nodded and left to find Hal.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey."

Hal looked up from his chair in the dining room where he was eating.

"Brought your baby back, safe and sound," said Maggie with a teasing smile, handing Hal his automatic. "Thanks."

"No problem," replied Hal, taking it and setting it down next to his chair.

"Mind if I sit with you?" continued Maggie, nodding to the empty chair next to him.

"Help yourself," replied Hal.

Sitting down, Maggie set her handgun on the table, leaving the other strapped to her belt.

"Where is the rest of your family?" she asked.

"I think Ben and Matt are in our room. Dad's around somewhere, probably talking to Weaver. They'll be here soon," said Hal, eating his soup.

"Anne said she and Lourdes would be by as well," said Maggie.

Silence fell. This was precisely why she and Hal didn't usually attempt to make small talk, because neither one was particularly good at it.

"How's Ben doing?" asked Maggie finally.

Hal shrugged. "He's fine. He's a little out of the loop but he'll adjust sooner or later."

"It must be tough," said Maggie sympathetically.

"He'll be fine," said Hal shortly. "He's here now, unlike- the others that are still out there."

There was a pause. "We'll find Karen," said Maggie, uncharacteristically gentle.

Hal just scoffed. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we talk about your life now?" he shot at her.

Maggie raised her eyebrows. "Point taken, I'm sorry."

Silence fell again.

Finally, rescue came. "Hi Hal. Maggie," came a familiar voice. Lourdes stood by Hal's other side, looking at them hesitantly. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"Not at all," said Maggie with a friendly smile.

Lourdes set down her tray and started eating the soup. It was mostly water with a few beans at the bottom and spices that were who knew how old. Lourdes grimaced, wondering if she and Anne were going to have a camp full of people with food poisoning on their hands. But she reminded herself to be grateful that there was any food at all and that they could be a lot worse off.

"So how's Ben?" she asked, spooning up the liquid and trying not to taste it.

"Is that all you guys talk about?" demanded Hal, clearly not over his bad mood thanks to Maggie bringing up Karen.

Hurt passed over Lourdes's face. "I'm sorry," she said, flustered.

Maggie sent Hal a look.

"It's not your fault," he said, though it sounded like he only half meant it. "Ben is fine. He's still adjusting but he'll be okay."

"Your dad wants Anne to talk to him," said Lourdes.

"Good luck," replied Hal. "He's not opening up to me or Dad or Matt." He paused. "He might talk to you though." Hal raised his eyebrow.

"Why?" asked Lourdes.

"He thinks you're pretty," said Hal nonchalantly, reaching for the salt.

"No subtlety, per usual, I see," remarked Maggie dryly.

Lourdes didn't respond but both Hal and Maggie noticed her face turn red. "I should go relieve Anne," she said, picking up her tray.

"Is she coming to lunch?" asked Maggie.

"Probably. That's why I'm going back to the trailer to see."

"See you later then," said Maggie.

"Bye, Lourdes," said Hal, with a cheeky smile.

As soon as Lourdes was out of sight, Maggie smacked him on the shoulder.

"You are so mean!" she laughed. "Wait till Ben finds out you told her that," she said, smiling.

"How was lunch?" asked Anne, back in the medical trailer.

"Oh, you know," said Lourdes vaguely, going to stand next to Anne beside the mystery girl. "How's she doing?"

"Pretty much the same as when you left. I checked the bandages and they seem to be holding up pretty well. Her pulse is weak but it's getting steadier. Like I told the boys, I really don't think anything will happen for a while."

"You should go get some lunch then," said Lourdes. "I can stay here for a while."

Anne looked like she wanted to refuse, but she had to admit that she really was getting hungry. "I'll be back in half an hour," she promised.

Lourdes nodded and Anne headed to the door. "Don't forget Ben might stop by," she called over her shoulder.

"No problem," Lourdes replied.

She looked down at the girl. She lay silently on her stomach, her head turned so that she faced Lourdes. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful. She might have been sleeping if Lourdes didn't know better.

"What happened to you?" the young doctor murmured.

Ten minutes later, she heard the door open.

"Is Anne here?" came a boy's voice.

"You just missed her. Can I help you with something though?" Lourdes looked up and saw Ben standing there. "Oh. Hi!" she said brightly.

"Hi," said Ben quietly, looking uncomfortable.

"Um, so Anne just left for lunch. She should be back in about 20 minutes. Or I can chat if you want to, until she gets back," she offered.

"I don't want to bug you," said Ben.

Lourdes smiled. "It's fine, I don't mind. Or you can wait for Anne. Whatever makes you more comfortable."

Ben shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. Might as well get it over with."

"I need to stay in here to monitor her," said Lourdes, motioning to the girl. "Is that okay with you?"

"I've seen worse," said Ben in a low voice, staring at the unmoving shape.

Lourdes paused. "Okay. Um, do you want to sit down?" she asked, motioning to the chairs in the back.

Ben didn't answer. He was still staring at the girl intensely, an unfocused look on his face.

"Ben?" asked Lourdes nervously.

He didn't respond.

"Ben!" she said loudly.

He flinched and pulled his gaze up to meet hers. "Sorry," he said. "Um, seat. Right."

He walked to the back of the trailer, a little unsteadily.

"Are you okay?" asked Lourdes, walking around the table to follow him. She purposely put herself in between him and the table holding the girl, hoping this way he would actually concentrate.

He looked up at her with tired eyes. "Do you know how many people have asked me that since I got back?"

"A lot?" she guessed, with a sheepish smile.

"5. Hal, Matt, my dad, Anne, and now you. Everybody else just assumes that I'm okay or is convinced that I'm a dangerous freak." He said the words calmly, but Lourdes picked up on the anger lying underneath.

"You're not a freak, Ben," she said steadily. "God doesn't make mistakes. This happened for a reason and it's for the best. Something good is going to come out of this, I know it."

Ben looked at her with an empty smile. "Yeah. Well, I wish I could believe that too. It's easy when you're not the one being talked about. When people aren't leaving the room because you walk in."

Lourdes's heart almost broke, listening to the bitterness in the young boy's voice. She'd never met Ben before, but he was too young to have such an antagonistic relationship with the world around him. Tom didn't talk about Ben much, but when he did it was to tell stories of how innocent and light-hearted Ben had been. Now, looking at the defeated face of the boy in front of her, she had trouble connecting the two versions.

"When I was younger," said Lourdes in the stillness. "I got picked on a lot."

Ben raised his eyes to look at her, not quite interested but definitely not uninterested either. "Really? Why?"

Lourdes smiled a little sadly. "I was different," she said simply. "I wasn't the prettiest girl and I lived in an area of town where nobody was very religious. I'll spare you the specifics, but I was mocked constantly. I still remember going home every day after school and crying. Begging my mom to home school me. To not make me go back."

"What happened," asked Ben, getting drawn up in her story.

"It wore off after a while and I grew up. New kids came and I wasn't the new girl anymore. People got tired of making fun of me once I stopped reacting to it. It still hurt but I learned to focus on more important things. I didn't lose my faith just because a few people couldn't accept who I was. And you shouldn't either."

Ben didn't respond. Lourdes continued: "There are good people here. Anne risked everything to figure out a way to get that Harness off your back. If she had failed, she could have lost every bit of credibility and trust she works so hard for. But she didn't care if it meant saving one more life."

Ben looked at her again but this time his gaze was hard. "She shouldn't have bothered," he said in a detached voice. "My life wasn't worth saving."

"Don't you ever say that," said Lourdes, and Ben couldn't help but flinch at how fierce her voice suddenly became. "There are so many people here who love you. Your father never stopped looking for you wherever he went. He did everything he could think of to find you. Your younger brother made himself sick from crying so much while you were gone. And I mean literally sick. Anne had to give him medication so that he would stop throwing up. And your older brother volunteered to walk straight into a Skitter's nest to get you back. He knew he had a pretty good chance of getting caught but it didn't matter to him. Did you know Weaver had to physically restrain him from rushing in there without a plan the minute he spotted you?"

Ben still didn't look convinced. "What do you think happened to her?" he asked, nodding towards the girl.

Lourdes sighed in frustration, fully aware that Ben was changing the subject. But she reminded herself to be patient. Ben would talk when he was ready and clearly it wasn't then.

"I'm not sure," she said. "Skitter attack?"

Ben got up and walked over to the table. Lourdes followed, wondering if he should see the girl, given Tom's clear reservations. But she didn't stop him and Ben stood by the side of the table, staring not at the girl's back but into her face.

"Something happened, that's for sure," he said, not talking to Lourdes anymore but to the air around him. "Something bad."

Ben reached out to the touch the girl, almost as if he were being possessed. Right before he made contact, the door opened and Anne walked in.

"Oh, hi," she said, surprised. "Was I interrupting something?"

Lourdes shook her head and turned back to Ben. The younger boy had withdrawn his hand and was looking uncertainly around him. He backed away slowly before turning and making for the door.

"Bye, Ben!" called Anne, surprised at his sudden departure. But Ben didn't look back. Anne turned to Lourdes who looked unsettled. "So how did it go?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," said Lourdes, still looking frustrated and shaken. "I'm going to get some air, is that okay? I'll just be right outside."

"Sure," said Anne, worry in her voice. But she didn't press the issue and Lourdes walked quickly out the door without another word.

Shaking her head, Anne turned to the girl lying behind her. She checked the bandages which seemed to be still be holding up. She reached for the girl's wrist and checked her pulse again. She frowned suddenly; sure that she had made a mistake.

She quickly walked to the door and stuck her head out. Lourdes was sitting right outside, as promised.

"Lourdes, can you come here?"

Lourdes got up and walked inside, looking a bit calmer.

"Can you take her pulse for me?" asked Anne.

"Sure," replied Lourdes, her voice questioning but she walked over to the girl as Anne had asked.

Her eyes suddenly widened and she looked up at Anne uncertainly.

"It's racing," said Anne, nodding.

"That's not possible," breathed Lourdes. "She doesn't have enough blood to pump it that fast." But even as she spoke, she could feel it slowing down again. "It's dropping," she said.

Anne stepped forward and took Lourdes's place. The girl's pulse got slower and slower until it was back to where it had been before. Anne let go of her wrist and simply stood there.

"What just happened?" asked Lourdes, sounding slightly scared.

"Did anything happen while I was away?" asked Anne.

"Ben stopped by about ten minutes after you left. I had checked the girl's temperature and pressure, but everything was the way it is now."

"And nothing out of the ordinary happened?"

Lourdes thought back. "Ben did get a little weird around her. He zoned out a couple of times and he couldn't stop staring at her. But I figured it was just because of the circumstances."

"We need to bring him back in here," said Anne, her back still to Lourdes. "I could be wrong, but I think something happened while he was here and maybe he knows what it is."

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**I hope you all liked the chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!**

**~moviegal101~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hm...so right off the bat I probably should have said "I don't own Falling Skies or anything to do with it" etc. So this is my disclaimer because I'll probably forget on the rest of the chapters but if you're reading this, I'm sure you know it applies for everything I write about. I am almost positive they haven't commented either way, but if anyone hears about the producers, writers, etc. saying they don't want FanFiction based on Falling Skies out there, somebody please let me know!**

**Thanks to Tori LMX for the review! I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. To answer your question **_(What's up with Ben and this girl? I just kinda wanna know if there will be something between these two)_**...Ben will definitely have some kind of relationship with the girl. But so will Hal, Maggie, and Lourdes. I don't want to give too much away or risk sounding cliché (which I probably already am) but every relationship is a bit different and she's had a traumatic past. She's not going to wake up and immediately fall in love with Hal or Ben. I love romances as much as the next person and I'm not saying it won't happen in the future of the story, but I also love the friendships and trust that develop between characters (the scenes with the Masons on the show are always my favorites and I love the dynamic between Hal and Maggie because you can tell that first and foremost, before being lovers, they are resistance fighters who will always have their partner's back).  
**

**This chapter should clue you in a little bit more about what is going on with Ben in relation to the girl, but remember: not everything is exactly as it seems and there is always more explaining that inevitably needs to be done in the world of Falling Skies.**

* * *

"What do you mean, 'her pulse spiked'?" asked Tom, confused.

"I mean, it was racing. A human being can't have blood flowing that fast, it just isn't possible."

"Maybe she's not human," said Weaver ominously.

There was silence. Hal, Lourdes, Maggie, Tom, and Weaver all looked at the unconscious girl lying in the middle of the circle they had formed around the table. Ben, however, was looking at the floor.

"Ben," said Anne, looking at the boy. "I need to know what's going on. You may be the only chance I have at saving her."

"Nothing's going on. I don't know what you're talking about," said Ben, still avoiding all eye contact.

"Wait a moment," said Tom. "Why do you think Ben knows anything?"

Anne looked at Lourdes. Hal, Maggie, and Weaver all looked at her in turn. Hal immediately looked defensive, ready to open his mouth and defend his little brother. Maggie was curious but she was also on guard and she looked warily at Ben. Weaver's face was emotionless, waiting to hear what Lourdes was going to say. Ben looked on edge, his eyes flickering up to Lourdes's face. Lourdes herself looked extremely uncomfortable, her eyes shifting from one person to the other.

"I-" she stammered. "I, um." She took a breath and looked directly at Ben. "You just looked different when you saw her. You went into a trance or something. I was just worried about you. But I'm sure it wasn't anything," she finished, looking at the three adults.

"Ben?" asked Tom. "Do you have anything to add?" He looked searchingly at Ben, though not with accusation.

"No," replied Ben in a tight voice. "I was just tired. I must have zoned out or something but nothing happened."

"Well until we figure out what triggered that girl's response, I don't feel comfortable with you and Ms. Delgado being alone with her," said Weaver to Anne.

"Captain, we'll be fine," Anne protested. "She's not going to wake up anytime soon anyways."

"You also said there would be no change in the next few days," reminded Weaver. "I don't blame you, but you clearly don't know what is going on here!"

Anne pursed her lips. "Captain, this is not a place for weapons-" she tried again.

"Neither you or Ms. Delgado have training in any sort of combat or defense. The two of you are invaluable to this regiment. There will be no discussion on this matter," said Weaver firmly.

Anne looked extremely frustrated but she nodded her assent grudgingly. Lourdes kept her eyes averted from Hal, who she could feel staring at her. She also avoided looking at Ben. She had done so once but he had given her such an angry glare that she immediately backed down.

"Hal, I want you to stay with Dr. Glass and Ms. Delgado for today," continued Weaver. "You are in charge of making sure no harm comes to them. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," replied Hal, anger no doubt directed at Lourdes filling his voice.

"Hal," said Weaver with a warning look. "I'm assigning you to this job because you found the girl and I know you are capable of protecting Dr. Glass and Ms. Delgado. However if you cannot control yourself, I will remove you without a second thought. You're a good soldier but there are many more like you in this camp."

"I understand," said Hal, looking at the floor.

"Captain, that's not fair," began Maggie. "Hal is one of the best soldiers out here. He's just looking out for Ben."

"Margaret, don't argue with me-"

"Hal, I don't need your help!"

"Ben, Hal is just trying to look out for you," said Tom. "All we want is for you to talk to us!"

"Yeah, and what's that going to do?" retorted Ben. "Turn back the clock? Make it so that none of this ever happened?"

"Ben…" said Hal with a helpless gesture.

"Just leave me alone," muttered Ben, moving towards the door.

"Ben, stop," said Anne sharply.

Her unusual tone made Ben stop in his tracks before he could think about it. He turned around but his response was lost as he looked at the scene in front of him.

Hal and Anne were staring at him, but Tom, Weaver, Maggie, and Lourdes had their eyes glued to the girl. Her head was jerking slightly, though her eyes remained closed.

"Ben, what are you doing?" asked Maggie, pulling out her handguns and pointing them at the girl.

"I'm not doing anything!" he protested.

"Leave him alone!" snapped his older brother.

"Not now, Hal!" said Weaver tightly.

He, along with Hal, was pointing his weapon at the girl. She was still moving, but now her whole body had joined in. It wasn't a violent motion but it was unsettling.

"What is causing this?" asked Hal urgently.

"I don't know," said Anne. Her calm composure was beginning to slip as she approached the girl.

"Is she having a seizure?" asked Lourdes. She was panicking inside, but she made herself remain collected for Anne's sake.

"Possibly," replied Anne. "Tom, I need you to come hold her head. Maggie, Weaver, Hal, hold down her body. You don't have to keep her still but I don't want her falling off the table."

"Shouldn't we put the restrains on her?" asked Lourdes.

"I can't work around those," came Anne's brief answer.

Maggie hesitated, realizing she would need both hands to do as Anne had asked. She looked to Lourdes, but she was standing by Anne waiting to be told what to do. "Ben," she finally said. She gave him a look that said _don't make me regret this_. Cocking the gun, she handed it to Ben who pointed it at the girl uncertainly.

"Ben, you're going to have to come closer," said Maggie, while getting a grip on the girl next to Weaver and across from Hal. "Get to a place where you can't miss."

Hal noticed the look on Ben's face and even in the heat of the moment, he was glad. The doubt meant that maybe the Ben Hal knew was still there. That geeky nerd that secretly Hal missed teasing and being teased by. But he also didn't miss Ben's shaking hand and in an instant he realized if Ben took the shot, he had as much of a chance at hitting the girl as he did Anne or one of the others.

"Ben, come here," he said. "Take my place and give me the gun."

Looking slightly relieved, Ben hurried over to his older brother and gave him the gun. Hal immediately held it at point blank range to ensure that he wouldn't miss.

"Hal, get that gun away from my patient," said Anne.

"Hal, you stay right where you are," commanded Weaver.

Hal shook his head. "Sorry, Anne," he said, tightening his grip.

"Hal, don't," said Ben, his eyes wide.

Further debate was cut off as the girl started thrashing more violently. "Guys!" Anne called out.

"She's stronger than she looks!" grunted Weaver.

"Ben, could you give us a hand?" asked Maggie though gritted teeth, trying to get a grip on the girl's flailing arm.

"Wait!" said Lourdes suddenly. She was staring at Ben thoughtfully. The boy looked overwhelmed as he stared first at his father then at his brother as though looking for reassurance. "Ben, don't touch her," warned Lourdes.

"What in the-"

"Captain, please. I think we're going about this the wrong way. Ben, I need you to calm down." She looked at him seriously and tried to calm herself down as well.

"I am calm," he said, his face clearly saying otherwise.

"No, you don't understand. You really need to calm down."

"Why should I trust you?" asked Ben. "Not ten minutes ago you were blaming me for all of this and throwing me under the bus!"

"I'm sorry, but I think I might have been right. Ben, please-"

"Stop it!" shouted Hal suddenly, abandoning the still moving girl.

"Hal!" shouted Maggie in frustration as the arm Hal had been holding down whipped up and caught her on the side of the face.

"You are just a piece of work!" Hal shouted in Lourdes's face as he drove her up against the wall. "Don't make me say it again," he threatened in a low voice. "Leave. My brother. Alone."

"Hal!" shouted Tom, about to leave his position by the girl's head but Anne held him in place while simultaneously filling a needle, the bottle in the crook of her arm.

"Anne, you don't need to sedate her," begged Lourdes. "Just listen to me!"

She pushed Hal back roughly and, surprised, he let her go. Lourdes ran up to the table and tried to stop Anne by grabbing her hand.

"Lourdes!" said Anne, shocked and just a bit furious.

"It is Ben!" she said desperately. "It's not his fault but he's controlling her emotions. I don't know how, but think about it! He touched her and her pulse skyrocketed. He got upset when Hal tried to defend him earlier and that's when she started convulsing. He saw Hal pointing the gun at her and he panicked. That's when she kicked it up into high gear."

There was a moment of silence when all that could be heard was the girl struggling under the combined efforts of Maggie, Weaver, and Tom.

Ben looked scared. Maggie watched him nervously and Anne held her needle dangerously close to the girl's skin.

"Please, Ben," said Lourdes.

"Why does it matter?" he asked. "Why shouldn't Anne just sedate her."

"We could use the medicine for someone else. But more importantly, we don't know what it could do to her. It could even kill her," said Lourdes. "That doesn't need to be on any of our consciences."

"I can't," he said quietly.

"Yes, Ben, you can," said Lourdes calmly.

"No. No, I mean, I really can't. I can't be calm, or whatever it is. Ever since I woke up here, I'm always angry, I can't control it, I-" his voice began rising again, panic mixed with frustration.

"Ben," said Hal, stepping forward and keeping his eyes locked on his brother. "Do you remember waking up?"

Ben looked up. "Yeah," he whispered.

"What did you feel? Was it really pure anger from the moment you woke up?"

Ben didn't say anything and Maggie felt the girl's struggles weaken slightly.

"Because I know I give you a hard time. And I know I did even before this messed up world came around. But I was so relieved when you woke up because I don't know what I, or Dad, or Matt would do without you. And I don't believe that you weren't just a little bit grateful, just a little bit happy, to be back."

This time when Ben looked up and had tears in his eyes, they weren't from anger. Hal saw his moment and ran with it, going over to Ben and putting his arms around his little brother. He was flooded with relief when Ben not only accepted the hug but reciprocated. The girl stopped thrashing and gradually became still again. The tension in the room lessened noticeably, and Anne gave Lourdes a nod before putting away the syringe. Tom and Weaver let go of the girl and gave each other grateful looks. And Maggie happened to look down just in time to see a tear come out of the corner of the girl's eye and land on the tabletop.

"Hal, I think I'll ask Anthony to come in and take your place," said Weaver, but Hal said immediately:

"No, I want to do it."

Weaver gave him a piercing look. "Are you sure you can handle it? You saw how many of us it took to restrain her. I need to know that if it came to it, you could pull the trigger regardless of whatever her connection to Ben is. And I'm not sure you can get past your, well, obvious bias."

Hal swallowed and looked at Ben. Then he turned to the Captain and said, "I can do it."

Weaver stared at Hal for another moment but finally nodded. "Fine. Maggie can come give you a break later in the day. But for now, Maggie, I want you to take me back to the place you found this girl. Something's not right and I intend to find out what it is. Tom?"

Tom clearly swallowed back something he was going to say to Hal and Ben before following Weaver out the door.

"Be careful," Maggie murmured to Hal before following the two men outside.

"Hal," Ben spoke up. "Can I stay with you guys?"

"Um, are you sure about that? Is that a good idea?" asked Hal tentatively.

"I'm fine," said Ben. "I just want to stay for a while."

"Yeah, if you want to," said Hal, a tad uncertain but mostly glad that Ben actually wanted to spend any time with him. A first since they had gotten him back.

Hal and Ben retreated to the back of the trailer, but it wasn't far enough away to miss hearing Anne say to Lourdes, "Lourdes, you cannot physically fight me like that on a medication again. I could have injected someone else accidentally, which could have had very serious consequences."

They saw Lourdes duck her head and say sheepishly, "I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to do so."

The two women were still before Anne reached out and grasped Lourdes's shoulder. "I'm glad you did because you were right this time. And I'm not saying I'll always have the best solution. But when things are that chaotic and dangerous, sometimes you have to make hard choices."

"I know," said Lourdes quietly.

"I'm not mad at you," said Anne earnestly. "I really appreciate your help because I certainly couldn't do this by myself. And I know you have a good heart. It's one of the hardest things to ignore but sometimes you simply have to."

Anne smiled a little sadly and Lourdes managed a small one in return. "I'm going to run out to get some supplies from the patrols," said Anne. "Will you three be okay?"

"We'll be fine," said Hal from the back.

"I won't be long." The door closed behind Anne, and Hal and Ben looked at Lourdes standing by herself at the front of the trailer.

"Do you think we should restrain her now?" asked Hal.

"That's probably a good idea," said Lourdes.

Ben and Hal got up and began to help Lourdes lay out the straps.

"Hey Lourdes," said Ben.

"Yes?"

"Anne was right. You do have a good heart. Don't ever lose that."

He gave her a brief smile before going back to laying down the straps. It took every ounce of restraint Hal had not to smile and embarrass his brother, but he managed it. Lourdes smiled back at Ben before looking up at Hal nervously after their last conversation.

"I'm sorry I was a little rough. I guess I just got caught up in the moment," she said.

"You're pretty strong," he replied. "Maybe you should try a little bit of combat with me and Maggie sometime."  
"Thanks," she said. "But I prefer to stay on the sidelines. Fix things, not tear them apart. Restore peace, not destroy it."

"That's not what we do," said Hal, glancing up at her. "We defend the 2nd Mass so that it can persevere. We only attack so that we can survive."

"I know. That's not what I meant. I just prefer healing people, that's all."

Hal shrugged, not taking offense. "Well if you change your mind, come see me or Maggie. We'd be glad to teach you some moves."

"Thanks. I'll think about it," she said, clasping the last strap across the girl's chest, bounding her securely to the table so that she couldn't move even if she'd tried.

* * *

**I might do some editing way down the road because it's going in the direction that I want but some things don't feel quite right yet. But I decided to post it anyways, and I'll let you know if I do end up going back and changing anything. **

**Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. So far, 127 people have read various parts of this story. Wow! Please let me know what you think! If it's to boring, cliché, annoying etc. or if you like it and want to read more. If you think I got some characters wrong (or right on), by all means point it out!  
**

**~moviegal101~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter! I feel like it's going a little fast, but I didn't want to drag things out. Plus, Anne is pretty smart so I think she would have made her discovery sooner rather than later. **

**I'm not sure I should be admitting to this, but I haven't actually seen the first season of Falling Skies. I came in somewhere in the middle of the second season, so my references/events taking place are based upon information I find online. So if I've made mistakes with characters, events, etc., feel free to let me know and I apologize! **

**Thanks, Tori LMX for the review! It means a lot. Sorry this one isn't particularly intense with lots of screaming and stuff :)  
**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

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"Ouch!" exclaimed Ben. He grimaced and squeezed his hand tightly.

"You okay?" asked Hal.

"Yeah, I just scraped my hand on the edge of the chair," muttered Ben.

"You should let me look at it," said Lourdes. "I don't want it getting infected."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," said Ben, rubbing his hand.

"Well tell me if it starts to swell up or feel hot, okay?"

"Not a problem," said Ben. He gestured to the girl. "So what, you think she's just my personal emotion meter or something?"

"I don't know, I could be wrong about the whole thing," shrugged Lourdes.

"I don't think you are," said Ben quietly. He looked at Lourdes and Hal nervously. "You can't tell Dad or Anne any of this. Promise me. And I mean it," he said with a significant look at Lourdes.

Lourdes nodded, still looking like she felt bad. Ben was looking around and playing with his hands, clearly uneasy.

"It's just that I can feel a connection with her. Every time I get close. I can't describe it, but I feel like I'm not alone, even inside my head."

"Wow. That's…creepy, Ben," said Hal.

"Yes, thank you," said Ben, annoyed. "Try to imagine how I feel about it."

"I'm good, actually," said Hal, shaking his head.

"Hey Ben," said Lourdes suddenly. "Why did you panic about Hal holding the gun to her? You were pointing it at her too."

"I was in control when I had it," replied Ben.

Hal shook his head. "You were not in control."

Ben ignored him. "I didn't want to shoot her. I knew Hal wouldn't hesitate."

"That's not entirely true," said Hal, looking slightly insulted. "What do you take me as?"

"You're a soldier, Hal." Ben looked at his brother matter-of-factly. "You follow orders and you have the courage to pull the trigger."

"Maybe," admitted Hal. "But I wasn't going to execute her in cold blood."

"You had her at point blank range," said Ben, accusingly.

"So I wouldn't miss," Hal defended himself. "Look, I would have gone for the arms or legs if I had the time to make a choice. But if it turned out I didn't, I needed to be able to take her out before she could cause any harm to Anne or Dad or any of them."

Ben didn't look terribly convinced but he didn't argue the point. "So do you think she's going to be in my head for a long time?" he asked.

"Do you think maybe you're inside her head too?" speculated Hal.

"What do you mean?"

"Your anger, Ben. It's not you. You have never been an angry person. What if this connection is a two way street and you're picking up on her feelings?"

"It started before she came," reminded Ben.

Hal looked thoughtful but didn't seem to have anything else to add. Lourdes sighed and got to her feet.

"Come here, Ben," she said, walking to the front of the trailer where there was more light. "Let me see your hand."

Ben hesitated and Hal raised his eyebrows with an encouraging look. Ben looked confused. His expression changed when he realized what Hal was inferring. Ben gave his brother a dirty look before reluctantly heading to where Lourdes was standing.

"Really, it's fine," he tried to say.

Lourdes ignored him, so reluctantly Ben placed his hand on the counter.

"That doesn't look too back," said Lourdes, examining it. "I'm just going to clean it out. We don't want it getting infected. Have both of you had your tetanus shots recently?"

Ben shook his head silently while Hal went, "Ummm…"

"Those are really important," said Lourdes, going into doctor mode. "If you don't get them, you-"

"Can die," finished Ben "We know. We were scheduled to go right before the aliens came."

"Oh, were we?" asked Hal, sounding surprised.

"Well obviously priorities shifted."

"You guys really need to be up to date, especially out here. We can't do much with our limited supplies, but you should take advantage of what we can do."

Ben and Hal watched silently as Lourdes took out two needles and began filling them up.

"You know, I actually think we did get them, Ben," said Hal pointedly.

"No, we didn't," said Ben, clearly enjoying Hal's discomfort. But he too was watching Lourdes- or rather the needle- extremely carefully.

"Well, I got mine," said Hal, getting up. "So I don't think I really need to be here for this. I'll be right outside if you need me."

He made for the door quickly but Lourdes said firmly, "Hal."

"What, are you scared of a little needle?" teased Ben.

Hal smiled tightly, looking annoyed. "No, of course not," he said.

"Good," said Lourdes. "Come sit down." She patted the chair next to her with a smile.

Hal looked like he wanted to refuse, but under Ben's amused look, he walked over and sat down.

"Besides," said Ben with a sly smile. "You can't leave Lourdes until Maggie comes to relieve you."

Hal gave Ben a dirty look in return but Ben just raised an eyebrow, still smiling.

"Hold still," said Lourdes, choosing for the sake of concentration to ignore the brothers' banter.

Hal looked at the ground with a set face until Lourdes was finished.

"All done," she said. "Ben?"

Ben traded places with Hal, but he kept the needle in his sightline the entire time.

"You guys should come back in and talk to Anne about what other vaccines you two need to get."

"Yeah, we'll do that real soon," said Hal, clearly lying.

"I'm serious, Hal," said Lourdes, giving him a look.

"Okay, okay," said Hal, putting up his hands in an _I surrender_ motion.

While Hal and Lourdes were talking, Ben silently slipped past Lourdes.

"Ben can do it," continued Hal. "Right, Ben?"

He looked to where Ben had been standing but he had vanished. Hal turned around and saw Ben standing by the girl.

"Ben," he said carefully. "Get away from her."

"It's fine, Hal," said Ben in a monotone voice.

"Ben, please don't until Anne comes back," said Lourdes nervously.

"I'm not doing anything," he said calmly.

Very subtly Hal took out his handgun and held it ready. Lourdes walked over to Ben and stood beside him. Hal came over slowly, leaving himself enough room to swing up his arm should he need to.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" asked Hal, watching his younger brother.

Ben looked hesitant. "No," he said.

Lourdes looked disappointed, but she didn't get to say anything because just then Anne walked in the door.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her eyes darting to the girl. Her arms were filled with packages and Lourdes hurried over to help put them away.

"Everything's fine," replied Hal.

"Lourdes gave us our tetanus shots," said Ben, finally turning around.

"Good!" said Anne brightly. "How did that go?"

"It was fine," assured Lourdes.

"She did a good job," praised Ben. He looked at his brother. "Hal was wondering when he should come back in for his other vaccines."

Lourdes hid a smile, remembering the banter that she had tried to ignore. She and Ben watched Hal seethe, though Anne was oblivious.

"I can give you a list of the ones you should have been given. Ask your dad if he remembers which ones you've already had. Just bring it back to me in the next few days and Lourdes and I can administer the ones you need."

"Wonderful, thanks," muttered Hal.

"How's she been doing?" asked Anne, nodding to the girl.

"Nothing's changed," replied Lourdes. Ben waited to hear his name come up in some way, shape, or form, but Lourdes didn't continue.

"We were just trying to figure out what happened to her," said Hal. "Do you have any ideas?"

Anne took a deep breath. "Skitter attack would be my best bet," she said.

"That would explain the blood," said Lourdes quietly. "Has it stopped bleeding yet?" she asked, leaning over to cautiously look under the bandages.

"It's not the bleeding I'm worried about," said Anne. "It's the fact that she's not waking up. I'm going to give her more time before I try to bring her out of it with medication, but if she doesn't wake up then I won't be able to keep her alive for very long. I just don't have the equipment or resources."

A dark silence filled the room. Anne shook her head as though to clear it and said in a more upbeat voice, "You three take off for a while. Take a break."

"Are you sure?" asked Lourdes.

"Absolutely. Take some time for yourselves. I won't tell Weaver," she said with a smile.

Lourdes and Hal looked at each other uncertainly. Ben remained quiet.

Anne saw their hesitance and said, "Go on! I'll be fine. It's been a slow day. I'll find you if I need help. All I have to do is monitor her and tend to Pope if he shows up."

"Pope is coming in here?" asked Hal, any thought of taking off immediately leaving his head.

"I told him to stop by. His arm isn't looking too good."

"I can go ask Maggie to cover for you, Hal," offered Lourdes.

"Go on," Anne urged Hal.

Ben finally started for the door and Lourdes followed closely behind.

"I'm going to stay until Maggie shows up," said Hal.

Lourdes and Ben shut the door, leaving Anne and Hal standing around the girl.

"Do you really think it was a Skitter attack?" asked Hal into the stillness.

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a good look because there was so much blood, but I want to take a closer look around the wounds. Do you want to help me?"

"Sure."

Anne washed her hands well and put on some latex gloves, motioning for Hal to do the same.

"We're running out of gloves, so I save them for extreme situations," she explained.

Slowly, she pulled back the strips of gauze covering the girl's back. The blood was still drying in places, but at least it had stopped gushing.

"Normally I would wait longer to poke around, but I need to find out as much as I can," said Anne.

She lightly touched the girl's back, blood coating her fingertips. Her expression changed suddenly.

"You've got to be joking," she said softly.

"What?" asked Hal.

"Feel there," she directed.

Hal took his hand and moved it to where hers were. He could feel something sticking out and his eyes widened.

"Wait a moment. Is that…?"

"I think so," she said.

She moved her fingers up a few centimeters and nodded her confirmation. "There are more here," she said. "It feels like two of them."

Hal moved his fingers up as well and felt what she was describing.

"She was harnessed," muttered Hal. "I wonder if Ben knew."

"He might not have…" Anne trailed off and then swore under her breath.

"What?" asked Hal, startled. He moved back quickly as Anne hurried to the cabinets and pulled something from it.

"Hold this," she said, shoving a bottle into his hands and looking for a needle.

Utterly confused, Hal looked down at it.

"Morphine?" he asked, surprised.

She hurriedly grabbed the girl's IV bag and took the bottle from Hal. She took the needle and drew up some of the liquid. She injected it into the IV bag slowly and then took a deep breath.

"If she was harnessed, that would explain why she's not waking up. Remember the other harnessed children? They were going through withdrawal and that's why they weren't surviving the Harness being removed. I'll bet that's what she's going through right now."

"How did she survive so long without it?" breathed Hal.

"I don't know. Some people are simply stronger than others."

"If Lourdes is right about her emotional connection to Ben, maybe that's keeping her going," said Hal.

"It's possible," said Anne. She shook her head. "She should have had the morphine a long time ago."

The door opened and Maggie walked in to see Hal and Anne standing silently, staring at the girl.

"What's up?" she asked cheerfully.

"Anne just discovered she's been harnessed," said Hal, nodding to the girl. "Like Ben. Like the others."

"I'm still trying to figure out how her Harness was removed," said Anne, deep in thought. "Someone would have had to get it off which means that someone else out here knows how to do it."

"Oh my God," whispered Maggie, realization crossing her face.

"What are you thinking?" asked Anne, concern on her face.

"The knife," said Maggie. "The clearing I found. There was a knife stuck in the tree and blood everywhere. I'm sure that's where it happened."

"It would explain the cuts on her back," agreed Anne.

"Wait, you think someone took a knife- a regular knife- and cut the Harness off her back?" Hal was incredulous. "Why?"

"That's the question," said Anne.

"Do you think…she did it herself?" Maggie was breathless.

"She would have had to fight the Harness's influence if that's the case. And it would have had to be an extremely strong knife."

"Or an extremely strong person," said Hal.

A thoughtful look crossed Anne's face and she went over to the girl. She reached out and touched her back.

"Hal," she said. "Tell me what you feel."

Hal reached out to touch her spikes as well. "They're jagged," he said.

"I think Maggie's right. Someone hacked through these. They aren't smooth like the ones we operated on."

"We need to tell Weaver," said Maggie, backing up towards the door.

"No, you can't," replied Hal quickly. Anne and Maggie looked at him. "He already thinks she's a threat. We should wait until she wakes up and can tell us what happened to her. If people find out she was harnessed, there's going to be a riot. They're already on edge about the ones here. If we tell them we brought another one in, they're going to storm the trailer."

Maggie looked torn. Hal stared at her. "If her Harness has been removed," he said forcefully. "She's not a threat."

"Why are you suddenly so protective of her?" demanded Maggie.

Hal looked caught off guard. "She's just a girl who's had bad things happen to her," he said. "She's not dangerous. Not anymore."

"You're trying to justify this because of Ben," accused Maggie. "You're sympathetic to her because you want to believe that everything you just said applies to him as well."

Maggie looked to Anne, who seemed to come to a decision. "I agree with Hal," she said slowly. "The morphine I gave her should help to get her out of withdrawal and maybe she'll wake up. Let's give it another day and if there's not progress by then, we'll tell the Captain."

"What about Tom and Lourdes? What about Ben?" asked Maggie.

Anne shook her head. "We'll tell them tomorrow, along with Weaver. It's for the best, Maggie."

Maggie didn't looked convinced but she nodded her promise. "Tomorrow we tell them," she said, just to be clear.

Anne nodded her assent.

"Weaver's going to be furious," said Maggie.

"So will my dad," Hal said grimly.

"Don't worry about that. I'll take the responsibility. I'm the one who told you to keep silent. Besides, according to Weaver, Lourdes and I are 'indispensable.' There's not much he can do about it." She smiled.

Hal and Maggie weakly smiled back, the latter looking much more uneasy about the situation than either of the other two.

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**Alright! Hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know what you think! I really, really, appreciate reviews.**

**~moviegal101~**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'll have more comments down at the bottom!**

**Thanks to Mya the one and only. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. You will definitely learn more about the girl and her story, including her Harness situation. Thanks so much for the review!  
**

**Thanks also to Guest. I will definitely continue since I know you guys are liking it! Thank you a ton for your review. It really makes me glad to know that you're enjoying the story so far!**

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"How's she doing?" asked Hal, standing next to the girl's table looking down at her.

Anne was on the other side, looking solemn. "The morphine should have given her the means of recovering. It's just not happening."

"What does that mean?" asked Hal, warily.

"It was just too late," replied Anne. "She needed it before her Harness was removed and again immediately after."

"Well what else can you do?" he pressed.

"I can try and give her a triple dose of morphine, but it's risky. It could act as a jumpstart but it could just as easily become an overdose."

"Well…" Hal looked at a loss for words. "What's going to happen to her?"

Anne shrugged helplessly. "She'll probably stay in this state. In an ordinary hospital, they could keep her alive with advanced drugs and machines. But here…I don't have those options."

"So you're just going to let her die?" demanded Hal.

"Of course not," said Anne, affronted. "I'm just saying there's only so much that I can do."

"There has to be something else."

"Hal, this is my last IV bag," said Anne, gesturing to the one hooked up to the girl. "You don't understand how low I am on supplies. I simply don't have the machinery I need. Unless she snaps out of it on her own, there's nothing I can do."

There was silence. Then Hal turned around and, as he walked out of the medical station, said, "Maybe she doesn't have to do it on her own."

He walked into the trailer he shared with his father and brothers.

"Hey Ben," he said, walking over to where a lone figure was sitting.

Ben looked up. "Hey," he said in return.

"Whatcha doin'?" asked Hal, sitting beside Ben on one of the cots and taking off his gun.

"Thinking," replied Ben, starting to sound annoyed at Hal's interference.

"I've been looking all over for you."

"Why?" asked Ben.

"Anne thinks the girl is going to die," said Hal abruptly. As Maggie had pointed out, no subtlety per usual.

Ben was caught off guard. "What?"

"Anne said she's running out of options and if the girl doesn't wake up soon, she's going to die."

But by now the shock had worn off and Ben said flatly, looking away, "So?"

"So I think you need to help her!" exclaimed Hal.

"What do you want me to do?" said Ben. "I can't help her any more than you can."

"That's not true and we both know it," said Hal, giving Ben a _don't even pretend_ look. "Now I don't know exactly what is going on between you two, but you said you have a connection. She's already tapped into you, I think you can tap into her. Get her out of the state that she's in."

"How?" asked Ben, turning to his brother with a hard expression on his face.

"I don't know," said Hal, frustrated. "Talk to her, tell her to snap out of it. Go into her mind and drag her out of it if you have to."

"That's ridiculous," said Ben flatly. "There is no such thing as telepathy or spirit walking."

"Ben…"

Ben looked up at Hal and said evenly. "I don't know what you want me to do, Hal."

"I want you to help her!"

"Why?"

"Because she's like you, Ben!

There was silence. Hal looked like a little kid who had just blurted out a secret to the adults, and Ben was frozen once more.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a tight voice.

Hal sighed. "I mean…she was harnessed. Like you. Somehow she got it off and now she's dying."

"Did Anne give her morphine?"

Hal nodded. "Yeah. But she thinks it was too little, too late."

"She was harnessed. That's why I can feel her," realized Ben. "But it still doesn't make sense…"

He trailed off and Hal seemed confused.

"Why not? Can't you feel the others? The ones brought in with you?"

"Not like this," admitted Ben. "The other kids, they're background noise. They're really faint. I know they're here and I know who they are, but they're easy to ignore."

"And the girl?" prompted Hal.

"Her presence is so much stronger," he said, and as he spoke he took one hand and grasped his head. "Nothing is specific, but I know she's there. I can feel her, all the time in my head. It's like when you're in a dark room with other people and you can feel them standing beside you even though you can't see them."

Hal shivered slightly, not liking the sound of it. Ben noticed, and said, "But it's not a physical presence. It's all mental. It's all in here." He tapped the side of his head. Then he looked directly at Hal. "Do you think I'm going crazy?" he whispered.

Hal shook his head firmly, though the uncertainty about Ben's confession showed in his eyes. "No, Ben," he assured him. "You are not crazy. There is nothing wrong with you, I promise."

He grasped Ben's shoulder. "Listen to me. You can do things I can only dream about. You can see farther and hear better than anyone here." He looked at his brother seriously. "Those are gifts, Ben. Treat them like it."

"I don't want them," said Ben in a low voice. "Not if they're going to make me a freak."

"What's so bad about being a freak?" asked Hal.

Ben looked at him incredulously.

Hal lifted up his hands. "I mean, look. I'm not going to deny that you're a freak because I've called you that ever since you could talk."

"Which is not possible, because I started talking before you did," reminded Ben, waiting to get a reaction from his brother.

"Not true!" denied Hal, in a tone that suggested they'd had this argument many a time. Ben couldn't help but smile, before Hal continued seriously. "Maybe you should look at all this as a good thing. Especially out here, you never know. It could save your life one day. I'd give anything to be able to do what you can, Ben."

"Oh really?" challenged Ben. "Because it's not all superhero action man stuff. Do you think I don't notice, Hal? Because I do. I notice people leaving the room when I walk in. I notice parents pulling their children away from me when I walk by. When I'm around, aliens aren't the threat. It's me. So no, I don't want these 'gifts' as you call them. And I don't think you do either because, unfortunately, being popular doesn't come with the package. And I'm sure you can't even imagine what that's like."

Hal look at his brother. "Really? You're going to play that card right now?"

"Well why not?" retorted Ben.

"Because you don't even try to be social! You could have at least tried to talk to the other kids in your class. And at school, all you would do was hang out with your three geeky friends from middle school and read books all the time. I tried to get you to come to football games and dances, but you said you didn't want to go."

"I came to your lacrosse games."

"Only because Mom made you."

"Come on, Hal. You didn't want me at football games or dances anyways. Face it. It's not 'cool' to have your geeky younger brother tagging along. And that was fine with me. I never wanted to be popular like you. But sometimes I think you forget what life is like for everybody else."

"What are you even talking about?" asked Hal.

"You've had it so easy your entire life. You got everything, Hal. You did everything first and you got everybody's attention. You're the dumb jock that everybody loves."

"That's not fair and you know it," said Hal. It would have hurt more but it wasn't the first time Ben had called him that. In all honesty, Hal knew he'd probably called Ben something much worse at one time or another.

"Yeah, well, life isn't fair," replied Ben morosely.

"Exactly!" Hal pounced on his words. "Life isn't fair, so you might as well make the best of it. Who cares what other people think? You just said it yourself: you don't want to be popular. Dad and Matt and I love you for who you are. Anne is genuinely worried about you and doesn't see you as any different than any of her other patients. Even Lourdes and Maggie like you. If we were in school and a girl like that even said 'hi' to you? You were doing pretty good. Isn't that enough?"

"Maggie's never said 'hi' to me," said Ben, clearly trying to be difficult.

"She gave you a gun though," reminded Hal. "That's even better. And you were alone for 20 minutes in a dark van talking to Lourdes. That, my little brother, would have spread some serious rumours."

Ben rolled his eyes. He started to say, "Nothing happened" but then remembered that he had accidentally caused the girl's pressure to spike, so "Nothing happened" probably wasn't applicable. So instead, he settled on, "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Hal laughed. "I'm just saying."

Ben was quiet. Hal stopped laughing and looked at Ben soberly.

"You're right," he finally admitted. "I don't know what it's like to be you. But if you really want a friend, she's going to know what it is to be different. What it's like to be in your shoes. And I would be grateful to somebody who saved my life, no matter who they were."

"Even if you didn't want your life to be saved?"

"Like I said, I don't know what it's like to be you," said Hal with a significant look. "But I'd be thankful they did, even if it took a little while to feel that way. Because I have a pretty good life, and so do you."

"Yeah," said Ben softly. "I guess I do."

"Come on," said Hal, standing up. "I want to check in on the girl before Anne tells Weaver and Dad that she was harnessed."

"They don't know yet?" asked Ben, getting up to follow Hal.

"I wanted to keep it a secret until she woke up. I figured she at least had the right to defend herself when Weaver decides what to do with her."

"So you don't think she's dangerous?"

"Nope. She had bad things happen to her but it doesn't make her a bad person. She deserves as much of a chance as you and I to prove herself."

Hal looked at his brother, hoping Ben understood what he was saying. He was rewarded when Ben finally smiled and said, "Thanks, Hal."

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******Sorry this one is a little shorter. It just seemed like a good place to stop.**

**I know there wasn't much action-y yelling going on. But I really love the family moments, especially between the brothers...but feel free to let me know if I'm overdoing them or if they seem way too out of character.**

**I know it's only been a day and Anne is already predicting the girl's death and while it seems extreme, I also think that in those conditions it wouldn't be unjustified. There are no means of sanitation, Anne has virtually no supplies or equipment, the girl wasn't in good shape to begin with, and they're dealing with an alien contraption so all bets are completely off. If you'd like to chime in, go for it!  
**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Let me know your thoughts! **

**~moviegal101~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry you had to wait so long. **

**Thanks so much to Mya the one and only. This chapter focuses on what you were saying you wanted to read about, so I hope you enjoy it. There is much more to be explained though, so stay tuned!  
**

** stargazingfromearth (sorry about the name being wrong. The uploader wouldn't accept it for some reason if I added the periods): wow, that really means a lot. Thank you so much for your kind words! It's always encouraging to hear things like that. ****I already have some ideas for relationships with many of the characters in the 2nd Mass planned out. I'll admit that's one of the aspects I'm really excited to write about! **

**Guest: thank you so much for taking the time to review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. **

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"Anne, Ben thinks he can help," said Hal, walking into the trailer.

"Actually, Hal thinks I can help," corrected Ben.

Anne turned around from the counter where she was arranging her supplies. "Any help either one of you can provide, I'd be grateful for," she sighed.

Hal turned to Ben. "How do you want to do this?" he asked.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "This was your idea."

Anne looked from Hal to Ben suspiciously. "What's going on?" she asked warily.

Ben gave Hal an _I'm not saying it_ look.

"I think Ben can tap into this girl's mind," said Hal finally. "Bring her out of whatever she's in." He looked up anxiously at Anne, as if afraid she would laugh. But Anne simply looked thoughtful.

"It could work," she said slowly. She looked at the younger Mason brother. "I don't know the extent of your connection. It's up to you, Ben."

Ben took a deep breath. "It can't hurt to try," he said reluctantly. There was silence. Anne and Hal looked worried. Ben moved his gaze to Anne. "Are you sure there is no other way to bring her out?"

"No," replied Anne. "I'm not positive. I can try with medication, but it's risky. To be honest, I think there's more of a chance of killing her with the medication than there is of bringing her out of it."

"And you really think she'll die if she stays in this state?"

"Yes."

Ben took another deep breath. "Then what choice do I have?"

"There's always a choice, Ben," replied Anne gently. "You don't have to do this. She may wake up on her own or it may be that it's for the better if she doesn't. This is my responsibility, not yours."

"Well I want to do it," said Ben resolutely. He moved his eyes to Hal, who smiled encouragingly. "What do I do, Hal?" he asked, sounding uncertain.

Hal shrugged. "Let her into your head," he suggested.

"She's already in my head," reminded Ben.

"I don't think you're letting her in all the way though. No person would, especially not you."

"Wait a moment," interrupted Anne. "What do you mean, she's already in your head?"

Ben glared at Hal.

Hal looked caught in the headlights. "Ben can't stop thinking about her. All the time, doesn't stop talking about her. I meant it metaphorically," he said quickly, trying, and clearly failing judging by Anne's frown and Ben's murderous look, to do damage control. "Anyways," he said with an awkward throat clearing, obviously trying to change the subject.

Ben began to look slightly fed up. "Do you have a plan or not, Hal?"

"You need to get into that connection. Then, I really think you can get in there and pull her out of whatever it is that's keeping her locked up. I know, I know," added Hal hastily, seeing Ben's disapproving look. "'There's no such thing as telepathy or spirit walking.'"

"I guess it's worth a shot," Ben finally said grudgingly, clearly just wanting something to try.

There was silence, the three of them standing there awkwardly. "Maybe I should get your father, Ben," said Anne finally.

"No," said Ben, more sharply than he meant to. "Don't get him involved."

He closed his eyes. Hal and Anne watched with trepidation. Nothing happened for a moment. Then Ben flinched. His face tightened briefly.

"Ben?" said Hal, about to step forward.

Ben opened his eyes. He was breathing a little heavier than normal and his eyebrows were furrowed.

"I almost had it," he said. "I think she's trying to keep me out. Give me a moment, I think you're right. I can get in."

He took a couple of breaths and before Anne or Hal could say anything, he closed his eyes again.

He could physically feel himself moving now. It felt like he was flying. It was dark, but the movement made him slightly dizzy so he wasn't focused on the darkness. It was like he was pushing against something strong, but fragile at the same time. Easy to break with enough force.

_Who are you?_ Ben asked aloud, his voice echoing. _I know you can hear me,_ he continued, though in reality he had no idea if the girl really could or not.

He looked around him. There were streaks of light now swirling in the darkness. He continued to push against the barrier.

_I want to help you_, he said.

Getting no response, he suddenly pushed the barrier with one giant shove.

He felt it break and himself falling forwards, with nothing to catch him. The feeling of the barrier breaking was like feeling a knife cutting into his flesh, hearing nails on a chalkboard. It sent chills down his back and he had to stop himself from shouting out. He could feel himself falling with no restraint. Nothing to catch him. Plunging literally head first down into oblivion.

Suddenly he found himself in a forest. It was dark, the moonlight making eerie shadows of the trees. Shivering with fear and the cold, he looked around. He felt solid enough, though he knew it was happening in his mind. He took a cautious step forward. Everything felt real. It was in his mind, right? He felt uncertain now and he pulled his jacket closer to him. It looked lighter in the distance and he could see the edge of the forest. He took off towards the light, wincing as his feet crunched leaves underneath him.

He was close to the light at the edge of the woods when out of nowhere, something crashed into him. Ben yelled in surprise, throwing his arms over his face instinctively. He was in better shape than he had been before he'd been harnessed, but he was no fighter. He could feel that it was a person tackling him with enough force to say that they meant business. Ben tried to grab their thrashing arms to stop them from hitting him, and he felt their hair graze his hand.

_I'm here to help you!_ Ben said to the best of his ability.

This person clearly was not a fighter either, but they were stronger than Ben. He was surprised when they stopped hitting him, but it made more sense when they grabbed his arms and pinned them to the ground so that he was defenseless.

_You need me_, said Ben desperately. _Don't do this to yourself_.

The person on top of him paused for a moment and then let go of his arms roughly. They got up and stopped. Then they turned around and started walking away.

_Wait,_ said Ben, getting up and hoping the person wouldn't tackle him again. _Please_. He held out his hand on an impulse.

The figure turned to look at him and the moonlight shone on their face. He had been prepared for it, but it was still a shock that sent a coldness running through his body. It was the girl lying on Anne's table. Her clothes weren't bloodstained but she had a mysterious air about her.

She fixed him with an impassive stare. It was almost a dead look, the moonlight adding to the haunting effect. She didn't say a word. Ben took a step forward, still holding out his hand.

_Please,_ he repeated.

She let him get close enough to where he could take her hand. The entire time she remained silent, as though waiting to see what he could do. Once he had taken her hand, his own trembling with nervousness, he took a step backwards trying to lead her towards the light.

Immediately she yanked her arm, the expression on her face turning cold. Ben held on, the girl's reaction confirming his thought that the light would take them back to the living. Out of this limbo.

But as her struggles got stronger, so did Ben. He remembered Hal's words to him: _You can do things I can only dream about. Those are gifts, Ben. Treat them like it_. He wasn't going to, under any circumstances, admit that Hal was right. But on the off chance he was, Ben supposed now would be the time to use them. He wasn't quite sure why he was fighting so intensely to save this girl, other than the fact that he had, quite literally, come too far to turn back. And so he pulled even harder on the girl's arm, dragging her towards the light.

He was taken by surprised when she suddenly lunged towards him, clearly an attempt to knock him to the ground and break his grip on her. He was even more surprised when he was able to withstand the blow, no doubt thanks to the thing Hal called a 'gift.' He was able to get his arms around the girl, despite her struggles, and he finally reached the edge of the woods.

Suddenly the light became blinding. It surrounded them and Ben let go of the girl. There was a piercing noise that made Ben cover his ears and screw up his face. He could hear the distinct sound of mechs in the background moving about. He hadn't been back in the 2nd Mass for long, but he knew what they sounded like. Everybody did. The girl was nowhere to be felt or seen, but Ben wasn't concerned with her at the moment.

_I accept your offer,_ came another voice out of nowhere. This was a female voice that he didn't recognize. The light was still blinding, but Ben tried to open his eyes. The light came from a source now. It was behind him, so he could see just a little bit. He could tell they were in some sort of field, but he couldn't see much else. He couldn't tell if the light was a spotlight or if it came from a mech. Blurry shapes moved around the light. It was like watching a movie that hadn't been properly cared for. Ben squinted his eyes to try and see more, but it just got even blurrier.

_I think we're done here,_ came the voice again.

_No!_ came an anguished scream. It might have been a little boy's voice or it might have even been the girl's, he couldn't tell. The scream was so raw and visceral that he shut his eyes to it, trying to block it out. The scream echoed in his ears and he forced himself to try and open his eyes again. Everything was black and he felt panic surge in him. Then he felt his feet lift off the ground and his body flying backwards.

Someone was calling his name, somewhere in the distance.

He tried to respond but he didn't know where it was coming from. He was still flying backwards and everything was still black. He could feel pressure building around him and he tensed his body, because there was nothing else he could do about it.

"Ben!" came the voice again. It was urgent and it was a voice he knew.

"Hal," he tried to say, but he couldn't even hear himself so he doubted his brother could.

"Ben, wake up!" Hal's voice was stronger now, penetrating though the darkness.

With a huge effort, Ben pulled open his eyes. He was gasping for air and it filtered into his conscience that he was on the ground. Hal was leaning on top of him, his hands on Ben's shoulders.

"Ben, talk to me," demanded Hal. "Are you alright? Say something, anything." There was fear in Hal's voice, which was no doubt the cause of his agitation.

"I'm fine," Ben managed to get out. He lay on the floor gasping for a few moments before he noticed Anne in the background. He was almost frightened to look at the girl, scared he would see the same dead look in her eyes before he remembered that in this world, she was asleep.

He got up slowly, Hal moving back. The two of them walked over to Anne who immediately began taking Ben's pulse.

"I'm fine," muttered Ben, but Anne took no notice of him.

Because everyone was focused on Ben, no one was looking at the girl, which made what happened next so terrifying. In a move so sudden that all three of them jumped, her arm reached out and her hand closed on Ben's jacket. Ben honestly thought he was going to have a heart attack because he was so startled. Hal had his gun out in the time it took Anne to blink, and the doctor was frozen next to Ben.

The girl's eyes suddenly opened and Ben found himself staring directly into them. These were not the emotionless eyes he had seen earlier. These were full of agitation but as they focused on Ben's, they became guarded almost instantaneously.

In a moment Ben was overcome with emotions so strong that he knew they couldn't be his alone: horror, anger, confusion, and most alarmingly of all: he identified betrayal. The feelings crashed into him until he could barely breathe. Then all became empty. It was like a room full of yelling people who suddenly all stopped talking. He was grateful it went away, but strangely enough he felt like he had lost something. As though a piece of him was missing. Like he was searching for something desperately but he knew he would never find it.

"She closed the connection," he realized aloud in shock. "It's gone."

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**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you thought and thank you for reading!**

**~moviegal101~**


	8. Chapter 8

**cubelixa1: I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Thank _you_ for reading and taking the time to write a review!**

** stargazingfromearth: Wow, thank you for the long review and the kind words! I'm glad you liked the descriptions. They were my favorite part of writing this chapter. I think the mental connection is very intriguing and hopefully you'll like where I go with it. And I'm so glad the characters are more or less in canon!**

**Tori LMX: To answer your question, here's the next chapter! I apologize for how long it's taken. This story probably won't be updated as quickly as any of us would like, but I've got lots of ideas for it and I really want to continue so I'll try and update as quickly as I can! **

**Hope everybody enjoys. More notes at the bottom.**

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"You heard a voice," said Hal, looking to Ben for confirmation.

"It was a girl's voice. It was cold. It said something about accepting an offer."

"You think it was hers?" pressed Hal, nodding to the girl.

She remained on the table, sitting up with her arms drawn around her legs, which were gathered to her chest. To Anne's surprise and Hal's discomfort, the girl had broken the strap restraining her when she had reached out for Ben's jacket. She had torn the others off of her, but she hadn't tried to get up, possibly because she recognized the threat of Hal's gun. She wouldn't make eye contact with any of them, but she watched them warily. Anne had tried to get near her but the girl shrank back each time and when Anne got a little too close she took a swing at the doctor. Hal had immediately pulled Anne back and stuck his gun in the girl's face, but Anne shook her head at Hal.

"She's scared," Anne had said to him. "She's defending herself. It was my fault for provoking her. She just needs some time to recover from whatever trauma she's gone though."

Hal gave the girl a warning look. "Don't do that again," was all he said.

The girl gave no indication she heard him, but just drew her arms more tightly around her.

Now, in answer to Hal's question, Ben shrugged. "I suppose it's possible," he said. "But…"

"But what?"

Ben seemed to struggle for words. "I felt like I was watching something. Something that had already happened."

"You think the voice belonged to someone else. Someone she was talking to?"

"Maybe. I just didn't get the feeling it was hers. I mean, why would it be? She didn't want to come with me. She fought to stay in there." He paused, a thought occurring to him. "She didn't want to face that memory," he suddenly realized.

"Why do you think it was a memory?" asked Hal.

"It would make sense," replied Ben. "She was trapped in that moment, and to come back she would have had to go though it all over again. Something happened. Something painful enough to block out."

"Could you tell what it was?"

Ben shook his head. "It was blurry. But I thought I heard a mech. As well as the other person, the one who was talking."

"Maybe it was the moment she was harnessed," suggested Hal.

"There's more to it," said Ben, dwelling on the emotions that had been hurled his way. "But I don't know what."

"You said she turned the connection off," said Hal slowly. "How did- I mean, is that even possible?"

Ben shrugged. "Apparently."

"Do you think she could turn it back on?"

Ben looked uncomfortable but before he could answer, the door opened. Tom, Weaver, and Maggie walked in, the two men talking to each other about the western border.

At the noise, Ben and Hal looked up with apprehension. Anne still stood by the table, though she remained far enough away to keep the girl as calm as possible. Maggie was the first to notice the girl sitting up and she stopped in her tracks, causing Weaver to quickly step around her.

"Hal?" she said uncertainly, her hand going to her gun.

"It's fine," he reassured her, watching his father closely to gauge his reaction.

Anne stepped forward before either man had a chance to speak and said, "She came out of the coma about 10 minutes ago. She is severely traumatized and if you're here to conduct an interrogation, I won't allow it. She needs time to become accustomed to her surroundings so that she will feel safe. If she doesn't and you make her feel cornered, I can't predict what she will do."

"Is she posing a threat, Dr. Glass?" asked Weaver, his voice even.

"No," said Anne, with a quick glance at Hal. "She hasn't spoken or tried to move, other than to take off the straps."

"And you let her get away with that?" asked Weaver, turning to Hal.

"With all due respect, Captain, I wasn't going to shoot her just for removing the restraints. But if she had tried to leave that table, I would have stopped her."

Weaver turned back to Anne. "Can I talk to her?" he asked. He might have been the captain of the 2nd Mass, but this was Anne's territory and as long as she respected him, he respected her.

Anne fixed him with a piercing look. "You can try, but if she becomes agitated I will ask you to leave."

Weaver nodded and stepped closer to the table. "I wouldn't move too close, Captain," advised Anne.

Weaver stopped but he continued to look at the girl. Maggie and Tom stood behind him, watching and waiting. Hal and Ben were on the other side and both brothers observed anxiously.

"As long as you don't pose a threat to us, we don't mean you any harm," said Weaver in his gruff voice.

The girl refused to look at his face but they could all see her keeping him in her sightline.

"Dr. Glass here wants to help you," continued Weaver. "Tell us your name."

The girl made no response. Maggie watched her warily, Anne watching Weaver. Ben still looked disoriented and he couldn't shake the disturbing feeling that he had just witnessed the girl's darkest memory.

"Tell us who you are," pressed Weaver. "What happened to you?"

Silence filled the room. Then Tom stepped forward.

"Captain, perhaps we should come back later. Hal and Maggie can stay here to make sure she doesn't get into any kind of trouble."

Weaver looked like he wanted to say "no," but another moment of thought seemed to change his feelings. Still casting a suspicious eye upon the non-responsive girl, Weaver backed away slowly.

"Dr. Glass, I want regular updates on how she's doing. I want to know her every move, is that clear?"

"Understood," said Anne quietly.

Weaver turned to leave and Tom looked at his sons watching silently.

"Let's go, Ben," he said.

Ben looked at him. "I need to stay here," he replied.

Tom shook his head in return. "You've had enough for one day," he said firmly. "Hal and Maggie will make sure nothing happens."

"I need to stay," repeated Ben.

He refused to look at his brother for help, but he did hope that Hal would speak up, though it would probably be because Hal had more questions he wanted answered. And sure enough:

"Dad, maybe you should let him stay. We could use the company."

"That's the best you've got?" muttered Ben, out of the corner of his mouth. Hal elbowed him and Ben resisted rolling his eyes.

Tom still shook his head. "That girl is dangerous. We don't know anything about her. She's volatile and I don't want you around her."

"You're letting Hal stay!" protested Ben.

"Hal is older than you, he has more training than you, and frankly I have no say in what Captain Weaver does and doesn't order. You, on the other hand-"

"Would you stop treating me like a child!" Ben shouted in frustration. "I'm not Matt!"

"Dad-" Hal tried again.

"We'll make sure nothing happens to him," Maggie added, attempting to diffuse the escalating situation.

But Tom ignored them. "Ben, I am your father and you will do as I say," he said sternly.

Ben gazed at him furiously.

"Ben, your father is just concerned for your safety," said Anne gently.

Ben continued to look at his father with a look border lining on hatred. "Concern is touching," he replied coldly. "But it didn't stop them from taking me."

Tom stared at Ben. "Ben. Outside. Now."

Ben looked like he wanted to refuse, but Hal muttered, "Just go. Listen to what he has to say, keep your mouth shut, and come back in when he's not looking."

Ben seemed to realize Hal's solution was much easier than arguing with his father. He also knew he probably wouldn't even win if he continued said argument. So with a stony face, Ben pushed past his father and went outside.

Weaver, who had remained silent during the exchange, said, "Let's go, Tom," and exited. Tom gave Hal a look that said he if he had his way Hal wouldn't be there either, before saying, "Be careful," and following Weaver.

Anne, Hal, and Maggie turned to the girl. She was still sitting there, her arms wrapped around her legs. But for the first time, she locked eyes with Hal. He felt a chill run down his back as he stared at her. She had a tough look on her face, but her eyes were fearful. Wondering if he was doing the right thing, Hal slowly sat down in a chair near the table. Not too close, but close enough that he could speak to her. Maggie and Anne watched silently. Hal put his gun down slowly, keeping eye contact with the girl. Anne gave a slight smile, realizing what Hal was doing. He was giving himself a non-threatening appearance in the hopes it would be easier for the girl to trust him. Even so, they weren't really letting their guard down because Maggie still had her guns out and Hal could get to his in a few seconds, if need be.

But for the moment, Hal succeeded in relaxing the atmosphere.

"I'm Hal," he began. "That's Maggie, and Anne is the one who took care of you. My brother, Ben, was here a few moments ago. He was the one arguing with my dad. The other man, the one who tried to talk to you, was Captain Weaver. He's supposed to be in charge here, but…"

For a while, Hal's voice was the only thing to be heard. He talked about nothing and everything. He didn't look at the girl anymore, his eyes moving around as he told story after story. Anne and Maggie were silent, listening to Hal recount life in the 2nd Mass. Sometime during one of Hal's endless tales, Ben slipped back in unnoticed. He sat in one of the chairs nearby and listened to his brother talk. The stories were new to him as well, for most of them had occurred before he'd been rescued. The girl remained alert though her guard seemed to be going down. She didn't take her eyes off Hal but her face never betrayed emotion. Except for once.

Hal was in the middle of telling the story of when they first formed the 2nd Mass. His younger brother's birthday was coming up but in the midst of the chaos there was no time for a celebration. To help get Matt a little closer to his birthday wish that everything go back to being normal, Hal had found a ripstick to surprise his brother with. As Hal described Matt and the other kids taking turns riding it, Ben thought he saw a wistful look cross the girl's face. Her eyes left Hal and she seemed to be remembering something, perhaps a fond (or not so fond) memory. But the moment soon passed, her expression returned to normal, and her eyes returned to Hal's face.

Sometime during the afternoon, Maggie eventually lost track of how long Hal had talked. Anne slipped out quietly and returned with Lourdes, bringing food from the canteen. Lourdes had obviously been filled in on the situation, as she came in quietly and didn't seem surprised that the girl was awake and listening to Hal tell stories. Anne silently handed Maggie some food, Lourdes giving Ben and Hal each a plate. Anne had brought another plate but seemed hesitant on how to handle the situation. But Hal had already figured it out. He slowly and carefully took his place and held it out to the girl. She was much more calm then when Anne had reached towards her but she wouldn't take the plate. Hal laid it on the table next to her and continued his story as if nothing had happened. Lourdes then gave him the extra food, which he accepted with a smile.

Hal talked as he ate, his hunger, which he had forgotten, coming back with a vengeance. Anne, Lourdes, and Maggie had all taken chairs now, and Hal's voice became one to either listen to or treat as background noise. Ben, Lourdes, and Maggie hung on to his every word, while Anne half-listened as she began preparing for the next day.

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**Well, there we go! Hope everyone enjoyed it.  
**

**I finally started watching the 1st season. Man, the pilot is incredible. The writing is phenomenal and the characters are so fleshed out. I thought Drew Roy was in particular was really good, with all his underhand jabs and side comments concerning his father or brother, but then showing his devotion to his entire family despite all that. I also loved Tom throwing out history stories and everybody rolling their eyes. Maxim Knight: wow he looks different. Though he looked like he really could be Connor Jessup's little brother more than ever. **

**Also, in watching the first episode, I realized some things in my story weren't as original as I thought they were! There really was a stream near the 2nd Mass (where Hal first spotted Ben). Hal really did have to be physically restrained (though by Tom, not Weaver) from going to rescue Ben without a (good) plan. There really was a child found where someone had tried to cut off the Harness (though who knows if the situation was the same as what I have planned...hopefully not). **

**Anyways, let me know what you think of the chapter! Thanks for reading. **

**~moviegal101~ **


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy. Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I hope you guys like it! It's a little longer than normal, so enjoy!**

**Tori XM- thanks for the review! I appreciate it. I hope you keep reading and you like this chapter!**

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As the day wore on, the members of the medical trailer became decidedly more lethargic. Hal kept himself awake though habit. His body was in night guard mode and though he could sense himself growing tired, he didn't give in to the feeling. Maggie, however, stayed wide-awake, years of roughing it having trained both her body and mind to stay alert.

Lourdes was the first to nod off, no doubt due to the long and stressful hours at the medical trailer, closely followed by Ben. The new girl was next, somewhat surprising Hal. He had expected her to be like Maggie, wary of everything and everyone. But seeing her with her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face made Hal see her differently. He still didn't trust her completely and knew that she could be dangerous. But as his eyes moved from the girl to his sleeping brother, he once again saw her as a just another scared kid with a horrible past waiting to be told.

Once he saw the girl had drifted off, Hal stopped talking. Silence filled the trailer giving way to an eerie feeling after such a long time of Hal speaking. Anne was careful not to make a sound that would wake up the three sleeping occupants. Maggie raised her eyebrows at Hal and he shrugged slightly, not quite meeting her gaze. Instead, he looked back over at Ben. The boy had his arms crossed on the table in front of him, his head in his arms. Hal's expression softened and he smiled down at his brother. Ben looked so quiet, more at ease than Hal had seen him since he got back. Maggie followed Hal's gaze and her face grew wistful as she caught sight of Ben. Hal wondered what she was thinking about but he would never have asked.

Sitting in the silence with nothing to do, Hal felt himself growing even sleepier. He kept himself awake, not wanting to sleep. But his body wasn't ready for this added watch. He was used to night patrol, but if he had been assigned to them he would normally have the entire day to rest up in preparation. He felt a nudge in his side and he looked up into Maggie's face.

She nodded at him slightly and murmured, "Get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Hal wanted to protest but he felt himself giving in. He blinked a few times but finally drifted off into grateful rest.

Hal suddenly opened his eyes. The trailer was brighter and he rubbed his face. Looking around, he saw that Maggie was sitting in a chair next to him looking bored.

"What time is it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Six or seven I'd say?"

"Why didn't you wake me up?" demanded Hal.

Maggie looked unconcerned. "I was fine keeping watch. Besides, you needed to sleep."

"I was supposed to be helping you," said Hal, feeling guilty that he had left Maggie to keep watch alone.

"I didn't mind," she repeated.

Hal shook his head. "Weaver's not going to be happy."

Maggie gave a slow smile. "It'll be our little secret," she assured him.

Hal looked around. Ben and the girl were still asleep, though no one else was around.

"Where are Anne and Lourdes?" asked Hal.

"Anne went to go find Captain Weaver to update him on the medical supplies. Lourdes said she was going to church. To pray for our souls or something."

Hal thought he detected a scoff in Maggie's voice and he was uncomfortably reminded of Karen's thoughts about Lourdes's devout faith.

"You don't approve?" he asked tentatively.

Maggie pursed her lips. "What she does with her time is none of my business. I just think there are better things to do with mine."

"So you don't think there's a God?" asked Hal.

"If there is, it doesn't care about me," replied Maggie.

Hal was silent. "Her intentions are good," he finally said, referring back to Lourdes.

"I never said they weren't."

"Karen used to scoff at her," continued Hal. Suddenly, he felt a need to keep on talking. "It was the one thing I didn't like. Everything else about Karen was good. She didn't deserve what happened to her. But she would make fun of Lourdes. They were never close. They were around the same age, you'd think they would have been friends."

"She felt threatened by Lourdes," explained Maggie.

Hal looked at her. "How do you know?"

"I've been there," said Maggie simply. "Lourdes likes you and Karen didn't know how else to deal with that."

"Lourdes was just being nice," replied Hal, embarrassed.

"Believe what you want," said Maggie unconcernedly with a shrug.

Ben began to stir, putting an end to the conversation. He raised his head and blinked sleepily.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Six or seven in the morning," replied Hal.

Ben looked at the still sleeping girl. "Has she woken up at all?"

Maggie shook her head. "She slept as soundly as you two did."

"What are they going to do with her?" asked Ben quietly.

"We can't keep guard over her forever," replied Hal.

"What are you saying?"

"If she talks to us and makes it clear she's not going to hurt us, I'm sure Weaver will let her go about the camp like the rest of us," said Maggie. "But until then, he has no choice but to keep her like this."

Ben was silent and Hal watched his brother cautiously. But Ben still seemed tired and not focused on anything in front of him.

The girl finally stirred and Hal tensed. Maggie shifted slightly and Ben was now wide-awake.

She opened her eyes and looked around.

"Good morning," said Hal carefully.

She didn't answer.

"Still not talking?" asked Hal.

She wouldn't even meet his eyes let alone respond. She didn't looked panicked though, which was a hopeful sign.

"How are you feeling?" asked Ben quietly.

Just for a moment, her eyes flickered to meet his. Still she said nothing.

"We should tell Dad she's awake," said Hal in an undertone.

Maggie nodded but before she could move, the door to the trailer burst open and Anthony came hurrying in.

"Hal," he said, completely out of breath.

"Anthony, what's wrong?" asked Hal, startled.

"They're coming. Our patrols spotted them just north of here. They have reinforcements and they're coming fast."

"I knew the Skitters being gone was too good to be true," said Hal, rolling his eyes.

"Now we know what they've been up to for the past few weeks. They've been gathering their numbers and getting ready to attack us," added Maggie.

"Do you think…?" Anthony trailed off as he looked at the girl.

Hal shook his head. "No. They knew where we were. They didn't need a mole for this."

The noise of people shouting outside floated into the trailer. "We need to go," said Anthony urgently.

"What about her?" Maggie nodded towards the girl who, despite sitting quietly, she would have bet was taking this new information in.

"We're taking her with us," said Hal without hesitation.

"It would be better to chain her here," argued Maggie.

"We need to go," interjected Ben with a worried look as the shouting continued.

Hal made a split second decision. "Come with me," he said, grabbing the girl forcefully and not giving her time to react.

She didn't fight back the way she had with Anne, but then again, it was clear that Hal had enough of a grip on her arm to break it if need be.

The five of them hurried out of the trailer into throngs of people rushing about to herd children to the basements and gather what arms they could find.

Hal didn't know what to do. He was running on pure instinct. He, Anthony, and Maggie needed to get to the front lines, but there was nothing to do with the girl. The memory of Ben doing 100 pushups nonstop crept into his mind, but he pushed it away uncomfortably. Ben wasn't nearly strong enough to control her.

As they passed some hastily thrown up tents, he saw the girl reach for a gun lying on a table.

"Absolutely not," Hal said sternly, taking it from her.

She had a steely look on her face but didn't do anything in response.

An idea suddenly came to Hal and he changed course. He dragged her into the school and down a flight of stairs. It was quiet there, the commotion above muffled by the slabs of concrete making up the building.

He steered her to a thick metal pipe coming down the wall and took a metal chain from his jacket. She jerked her arm away, clearly understanding his plan. He took her arm back roughly and tied it to the metal, winding the chain like a figure eight around the pipe and her arm. He clicked the lock in place and looked at her.

She was staring at him, a mixture of emotions on her face. Anger, shock, despair, fright.

"You're going to be fine," said Hal, pushing away the voice in his head asking _Is she really, Hal?_ "They won't find you down here."

She glared at him, no doubt his words not bringing much comfort. He started to walk away. The voice in his head persisted, now accompanied by the slightly guilty feeling in his gut. Just at the door he turned around, frustrated.

"I don't know why I'm doing this," he said, loudly so that she'd hear. "I don't trust you and I don't know you." He shook his head. "I really don't think they're going to find you. But just in case, I'm not going to leave you here as an easy kill."

He took the pistol that she had tried to take earlier out of his belt and placed it in her free hand.

"Try not to waste the bullets." He gave her a look before turning back around and walking out the door.

"You did what?" asked a shocked Ben outside the schoolhouse.

"I chained her to a pipe," said Hal, busily loading himself down with ammunition. "Down in the old basement."

"They're gonna kill her!" Ben protested. "If they get in there and she can't run-"

"She'll be fine," said Hal shortly.

There was a moment of silence. "Is that what you're gonna do to me?" asked Ben quietly.

"What? No. Why would you even…?"

"You don't trust me around the guns, why haven't you chained me up?"

Understanding came to Hal's eyes. "Ben, would you knock it off already?"

"You're just as bad as Dad and Weaver, you know that?"

Hal looked insulted. "I'm trying to do what's right. In case you haven't noticed, we're about to be attacked. I just want to get though this alive and then we can worry about her, okay?"

Ben shook his head. "Why am I different?" he continued to argue.

Hal looked up. "You're not, okay?" he said, frustrated. "Look, do you want me to chain you up? Because you've got about 30 seconds before I leave. So you better tell me right now."

"Hal…" Ben looked equally as frustrated.

"What?"

Ben just continued to stare at him.

"Oh stop looking at me like that," grumbled Hal.

"Whatever, Hal," muttered Ben, turning away.

The older boy sighed. "I gave her a gun," he said to the back of Ben's head.

Ben turned around. "You gave her a gun?"

"Did you not hear me the first time?" asked an irritated Hal.

"You gave her a gun."

"Yes, Ben, I gave her a gun," said Hal, exasperated. "Happy?"

"Well…how do you know she knows how to use it?"

Hal rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving," he said. "Goodbye, Ben."

He turned to walk away, slinging his gun over his shoulder. He didn't get very far before he heard his brother's voice calling him back.

"Hey Hal?" Ben's voice was unsure.

Hal turned back around. "Yeah?"

Ben shifted from foot to foot. "Be careful."

Hal gave a smile. "I'll see you later. Tell Matt I said goodbye."

He hurried to join a group rushing towards the gates with nary a backwards glance. Ben stood there and watched him, wondering for the thousandth time if he'd ever see his brother again. He paid no notice to the people passing by until a voice caught his attention.

"Ben, get inside. Find your brother!" called Maggie as she hurried past him.

"Come with me." Suddenly Lourdes was on Ben's other side and she fairly dragged him along as she hurried to join the other people who weren't leaving to fight.

"Where are we going?" he asked, trying to keep up.

"North end of the building. It should be secure there. They have weapons and even bikes if we need to evacuate."

"Hal chained the girl up," interjected Ben desperately, clearly only half listening. "She won't be able to get away."

Lourdes didn't say anything for a minute. Then: "He did what he thought was right. We need to hurry."

Ben jerked his arm away and looked at the young nurse with shocked eyes. "We can't just leave her!"

Lourdes spun around. "I agree. But we can't do anything about it right now. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Maybe God has a different path laid out for her than he does for us."

Ben shook his head. "I don't believe that," he said, backing away.

"Ben!" Lourdes grabbed him again. "Please," she said with forced calm. "Come with me. Come find Matt, he's probably scared out of his mind."

Ben didn't move. Lourdes looked distressed. "Look, I promise if we have to evacuate, I'll…I'll help you go find her. We'll take her with us. But you have to come with me right now."

Ben looked skeptical. "You promise?"

"Yes! Now let's go!"

Reluctantly, Ben allowed himself to be led over to the schoolhouse and into the dark rooms filled with the silent civilians.

Several hours later, Ben woke up with a start. Matt was asleep next to him, his head buried under Ben's arm. Lourdes was on his other side, her eyes closed and her head against the wall.

Though the darkness he heard a voice, meant to carry though the room but not so loud as to be heard outside the building.

"Everybody, wake up. Quickly!"

Blinded by the darkness, Ben shook Lourdes who immediately awoke.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"No idea."

Everybody was awake now and waiting for news of the fighters, waiting to hear they could all go back to their rooms and get some sleep before the new day began.

"The Skitters are coming," continued the man. "Everybody needs to get up quickly and quietly and go out the back. From there, proceed to the woods and start heading west. This is a direct order from Captain Dan Weaver."

There was grumbling as well as whispers of fear as everyone got to their feet and tried to stay together. Ben held on tightly to Matt's hand and Lourdes felt for Ben's shoulder.

"Do you still want to go?" she whispered.

Ben tensed. "Yes," he said shortly. He looked at his brother. "Matt, go find Uncle Scott. Hide in the woods, we'll be there soon."

"Where are you going?" asked Matt, his voice worried and his eyes round with fright.

"To…" Ben trailed off.

"We have to gather medical supplies in case anyone needs it when we're all together in the woods," filled in Lourdes.

"I want to come with you!" exclaimed Matt.

"No. Now go," said Ben, not wanting to waste time arguing. He pushed Matt in the direction of the moving people.

"Come on," whispered Lourdes. "If anyone asks, tell them we're collecting supplies for Anne."

Thankfully, this cover story was unnecessary. The chaos and confusion surrounding the situation meant that no one gave them a second glace as they slipped out the door. It was cold outside and the moonlight casting shadows didn't help the spooky atmosphere.

"Do you hear anything?" asked Ben, looking around.

Lourdes pulled her sweater tightly around her and shivered. "No. Let's just get this over with," she said.

They hurried to the South side of the building and opened the door cautiously. Lourdes was painfully aware that neither of them had any sort of weapon and if Skitters did find them, they were pretty much done for. She regretted making the promise to Ben, but now she had to keep it. Ben suddenly put out his arm to stop Lourdes.

"Listen," he whispered.

She froze. "I don't hear anything," she replied, terrified.

"I thought I heard something." And sure enough:

"What do you think you're doing!" came a voice from below. It was filled with surprise and anger.

Ben recognized it as Weaver's. "We have to get down there!"

"No we don't!" hissed Lourdes. "Think about this! We have no weapons, no backup. Just let him handle whatever is going on."

Ben ignored her. With a frustrated sigh, Lourdes hurried after Ben wondering who would kill her first if Ben died: Hal or Tom?

She and Ben flew down the stairs and as they rounded a corner they saw a window looking into a room with a light on. Ben and Lourdes skidded to a stop and stared at the scene though the window.

They could see the girl still chained to the pipe at the far end of the wall. There was a figure on the floor in front of her and she had the gun pointing straight out. Turning to his right, Ben saw Weaver outside the door looking in on the scene.

"Is that Jimmy?" breathed Lourdes, looking at the figure on the ground.

The young boy's face was terrified as he stared up. His mouth opened as if to say something but no words came out. Weaver had his gun out in turn but he looked disoriented.

"Put the gun down," they heard him say.

The girl made no response.

"Put the gun down or I will shoot," said Weaver steadily.

Lourdes was still shivering but Ben had suddenly noticed something. "Look at their eyes," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Lourdes. She focused in more closely and suddenly realized what he meant. She swiftly drew back, fear filling her face.

"Put the gun down now," Weaver was saying, shifting slightly. "This is your last warning."

"No," said Ben, putting his hand to the glass and turning to Weaver. "Wait!"

The girl looked up, her face tightened, and she pulled the trigger.

* * *

**What'd you guys think? Review and let me know! I love hearing your comments.**

**I'm so in love with the first season of the show. Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, and Maxim Knight have all been doing such wonderful jobs. I honestly think Connor Jessup in particular has been given some really good material he's clearly making the most of once he's allowed the opportunity to actually open his mouth!**

**Let me know what you think, either about the chapter or about the show if you so choose!**

**~moviegal101~**


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